Jay
by what-if-happens
Summary: This is a story about the relationship between a brother and a sister. Jay and Troy Bolton, two siblings that are almost inseperatable. It tells of their highs and lows and all the places in between.
1. Prince of Peas

**AN: So I probably shouldn't start a story when I am going to leave in a week for vacation and not be back for three weeks, but I am bored, I have the whole story written out in pencil, and really need something to do. So here I am typing on something I shouldn't. I think that everything in the story will either come out, but if you don't understand something, ask me, though it may take me a time to respond between leaving and the website giving me a bunch of crap and not working for me. I guess I should tell you that the story starts in early to mid November before the movie. The first chapters are short, but the get longer.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter 1

"I know something you don't know," Jeanette – Jay – Bolton taunted her brother before homeroom.

"Keep on dreaming Jay," Troy said.

"Do you know where we are going winter break?" Jay shot at her brother and got a glare from Darbus.

"Cali or Florida," Troy said off-handedly.

"Well I got the official announcement from mom this morning while you were being slow, so I know which one, wanna guess?"

"California."

"Nope."

"Then it's Florida, real hard to figure out Jay."

"Errt!"

"What was that?"

"A buzzer."

"None that I have ever heard."

"It means you're wrong."

"It was my only other choice."

"Last I checked there are fifty states in the U.S."

"Just tell me."

"Colorado. I wasn't really paying attention because you had just tripped down the stairs, but it was something about a gym and being able to practice and such, I don't know you'd have to talk to dad to get the exact reason."

"So he already has us in the championship, great."

"Yep."

"Surely there were other options."

"Apparently, we got a really great deal, or whatever."

"Colorado is cold."

"Buck up bro, snowboarding, hot chocolate, snow, it could be fun."

"I was looking forward to surfing, smoothies, and sun. And sneaking drinks from dad. Not cold, white, Colorado."

"Want some cheese with your whine?"

"Shut up," Troy couldn't come up with anything else. He hated losing an argument with his sister.

"As you wish my Prince of Peas," Jay winked at him knowing how the old nickname bothered him.

"You should really stop saying that, it was from when I was like four."

"But it is so fitting," Jay said.

Troy wasn't going to lose this argument, "I-" unless the bell cut him off.

Darbus stood up and looked over the attendance, everyone was there. "Ok, I have a few announcements to make. First, the fall musicale is in its second night of production, seeing it and writing a review will earn extra credit. The principal would like to remind students to not stand in the hallways but to go to class so you are not late. Picture retakes are next week, next Thursday. If the developing company made a mistake the retake is free, but if you don't like your expression, clothing choice, or hair it is five bucks, and I think that is it," Darbus looked over the sheet with the announcements on them, "Oh, well there is a girl's varsity basketball game, the first home game apparently and the boys varsity first home game tomorrow. And-"

"And we're going to kick some cougar butt!" Chad interrupted. He and Jay high fived as other team members whooped and hollered.

"Fifteen minute detention Danforth, Bolton," Darbus said, slamming a book on the desk to regain control, "As I was saying before I was rudely inter-"

"Which one?" Jay interrupted – again, halfway on purpose, halfway wanting an answer.

"What do you mean which one?" Darbus asked.

"Which Bolton, there are two of us you know, so me or him?" Jay pointed between her and her brother.

"You," Darbus pointed at her, "Again, as I was saying..."

Everyone tuned her out. Troy gave Jay a pointed glare. As the captains and siblings it was an unwritten rule for them to cover for each other at practice when one was late or had detention. Their dad, the coach had a knack for showing up late, so they had to start practice and that is hard to do when you can't be there.

'Sorry' Jay mouthed. Troy just nodded. They bell rang and they were out the door, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Jay pleaded.

"It's kinda ok, since I sorta still owe you from Friday night," Troy said. Jay smiled evilly as she remembered. Last Friday Troy came home after curfew and she covered for him saying she asked him to get something fro Gracie- (a teammate) – house.

"Oh, yes, blackmail, I forgot about that," Jay grinned. Troy playfully pushed her.

"I have stuff on you too," Troy said.

"Like what?" Jay asked as they walked towards their next class.

"Danny Silverman," Troy said simply.

"You wouldn't!" Jay went bug-eyed.

"I'll stay quiet if you do too."

"Promise?" Jay stuck out a hand.

"Promise," Troy said shaking her hand with a nod.

They walked into their English class and took their seats. The bell rang about a minute later and the teacher stood up. "Ok, settle down, class. I am sure you all had a wonderful weekend, but we have an in-class write, if you recall me telling you Friday. I am grading it on the one to nine scale, almost AP style, but not because you are not AP. Do any of you want a reminder of the scale?" She asked, no one said anything. "Ok, you can use your books, well you pretty much have to. You have forty minutes, and hear is your prompt," She turned on the overhead, "I think it goes with out saying to keep you eyes on your own paper, blah, blah, blah, Ready, set, go," She strode back to her desk as everyone took out a sheet of paper and a pencil and read the prompt.

'Reread the passage starting on page 142 that begins "As my sympathy for Taske, Weathers, and some of my other teammates mounted..." and ends "...it's al reported favorable." Then analyze the author's tone/attitude and purpose in the passage focusing on the style and diction. What is the author trying to convey to the audience. Use at least two examples form the text to support your points.'

Jay had just started to write when the door opened and everyone looked up. It was her dad. _Great_, she thought.

"Excuse me, can I borrow my kids for a sec?" Jack Bolton asked. The teacher nodded. Troy and Jay got up and exited quickly.

"Can we make this quick dad, we're kinda in the middle of a test," Troy said as they started to walk, both teens already knew they were headed to the gym.

"Sorry about that, my girls basic gym class is on the basketball unit, and well lets say, not good to be blunt. We are trying a pick and roll."

"Let's hurry this along," Jay said frustrated. It was just like their dad to do this sort of thing.

"What's the hurry, I got you out of a test?" Jack asked not seeing why she would be in a hurry to get back to a test.

"It's timed, we don't have forever."

They entered the gym. Troy and Jay demonstrated the drill quickly a couple of times before darting out of the gym. Once the door closed behind them, Jay broke out into a sprint back to class, "Jay!" Troy yelled after her as he tore after her. "Jay, what's wrong?" He asked as he came to stride with her. She didn't reply as they reached the door. "Tell me what's wrong," Troy said as they reached the door.

"I have to get back to my write," Jay said making a reach for the door.

"Why has this write become so important?" Troy said spinning her around.

"Because it is deciding if I play next week, just let me do it," Jay said.

"Wait what?"

"You have no idea how close I am to getting a 'D' in English, and I do then I am not playing!" Jay crumpled against the wall shaking, but not letting any tears come out and she slid down the wall.

Troy looked around before kneeling down in front of her, "I didn't know that Jay."

"Now you do," she shot at him, "It is this stupid book and Shakespeare before, and I just don't get it. Shakespeare can't speak English and I don't care about anyone climbing Mount Everest. If you do you are insane and have a death with. I hate it. I hate this book!"

Troy sat in silence watching her melt down, "We will figure something out, you and me. Just like my math problem," That earned him a small smile, "And I will get you more time on this write, I promise."

Jay looked at him and laughed a short laugh, "Good luck with that."

"Teachers love me," Troy said and they sat in silence for a moment, "Since when did I get better grades than you?" Troy asked with a grin. Jay crumbled on the ground laughing. "Come on Jay," Troy stood up and pulled her up too. They walked inside and Jay went back to her paper as Troy went up to the teacher. He flashed her a smile as he sat down telling her mission accomplished.

After the original forty minutes were up the teacher went around and picked up all the papers, leaving Troy and Jay with theirs. They continued to work into their free period.

Jay looked her paper over before getting up and handing it to the teacher. Troy, who had finished earlier, got up and followed her out of the class room, "Nine worthy?" He asked.

"God I need it, but I'll never get it."

"Sure you will."

"I've never gotten anything above a six."

"You'll get something higher than that this time, I can feel it. Now let's go to free-period workout."

"We know I don't need it," Jay joked cockily and Troy pushed her, but they both laughed. "Trainer! I totally just remembered. About my shin splints on our 'jogs' as dad calls them even though they are five or more miles long. Matt was going to show you how to wrap my arches to help it."

"You mean I have to touch your smelly feet?"

"Shut up!" Jay pushed him, but laughed all the same, "And your are so much worse than mine, I can smell your shoes all the way up in my room."

"You did not just say that!" Troy looked at her.

"I think I did," Jay said and she took off running with her brother behind her.

------------

**AN: And that is my first chapter, now I am going to go type the second and maybe third, depends on how long it takes. I really appreciate reviews telling me what you liked or disliked.**


	2. Dreamer

**AN: And now on to the second chapter, and I'm pretty much just talking to myself now. Whatever.**

Chapter 2

"Remind me again why we are here?" Chad complained as he and the rest of the varsity boy's team sat on the first and second rows of bleachers at center court. It was twenty minutes until the start of the girl's first home game.

"Team unity," Troy said, "And because I said so. We show up for the girls' games and they for ours.

"Jay would make them come anyways. And their games aren't as good or exciting as ours," Chad whined.

"Then stare at the cheerleaders," Troy said as the girls jogged onto court to warm up. "You leave you are sitting the first quarter tomorrow, everyone hear me, I'm going to talk to my sister," Troy said to his teammates before jogging onto the court. No one could make a fuss about him doing that as he was listed as a manager for the girl's team as Jay was listed as a manager for the boys, "Jay!" He called her attention. She made one last shot before jogging over to him. "Number five's a shooter, she likes the shot from the corner. Number 11 is a stealer, keep your body between her and the ball, she's got quick hands. Tell Emma to really put a body on 42, she likes to push and be rough, easy to get in foul trouble, she's an excellent rebounder."

"Anything else?" Jay always followed his advice as he did hers.

"I yell shoot," Troy started.

"Square up and shoot, no matter what, you are seeing something I'm not, I know," Jay recited.

"K.O. my dreamer, K.O." Troy nodded before walking back to the bleachers.

Fifteen minutes later they were setting up for tip off. Jay lined up at her free throw line. She called out who she had as the ref said who was going which way, it was really just a waste of time. The noise in the gym became overbearing as the ref threw up the ball. The other team – the cougars in orange – got the tip. Jay came forward to her man, the point guard. "Down low Jay, palms up," Coach shouted from the bench. She took the bent down into defensive position, crooked to make the girl go with her left hand. She saw the girl hold up one finger to call the play. She passed the ball and Jay dropped into the lane for help defense.

"K.O. Jay," came from the bleachers. It had to be Troy. A pass was coming her person; she was to look for a steal. Jay tracked the ball and saw it. She leaped forward knocking the ball towards center court. She chased it down and went up for a lay up and two easy points for her team.

She went back to half court for defense. Her girl called another play, labeled 3 now. She dribbled to the three-point arc and passed it to the corner. She then cut to the basket. Jay stayed with her and saw the pass coming. She deflected it back to her teammate – Gracie – who grabbed the ball. She waited for the court to clear out before dribbling down the court. Jay stood at the wing position waiting for the play to be called. Red – Jay streaked through the lane picking up a pick from one of her posts and got the ball at the other side of the court. The one post set an away pick, and the other came across in the clear. Jay passed it to her. Emma – the post – turned and shot, but missed. Ellie, the other guard grabbed the rebound and kicked it out to Gracie.

Gracie backed out as they set up in their home positions. Gracie called another play, White – Left, Jay came up and set a pick for her and Gracie drove down the middle, but came to traffic. Jay had rolled to the top of the key and Gracie passed it to her. "Shoot!" Came from the bleachers – Troy. Jay didn't hesitate to square up and shoot. Swish!

"What was that?" Coach called from the bench as they scrambled back on defense.

"Three points," Jay said before stooping into her defensive position. The team's next play of 2 caught the post players switching and ending up on the same girl making the other one open and scoring two points.

"Emma, Sara, what are you doing?" Came from Coach.

They ignored him as they took their places at the other end. Jay brought the ball down and called the play. It unfolded unsuccessfully so Gracie improvised. She jabbed stepped in before coming out across the free throw line. Jay passed her the ball as she hit the elbow. Gracie squared up and hit the shot. Jay gave her a low five as they got back on defense.

It was late in the first quarter and the Wildcats were up 18 to 11. "K.O. Jay," she heard for the third time that game. Jay spotted it and knocked the ball away again. She grabbed it and dribbled down the court with the girl hot on her heels.

Troy saw it coming but didn't see it happen, time seem to fast-forward through the moment. As Jay went up for the lay up, the girl knocked down the ball and Jay. They both came to the floor with a loud thud! Both girls were five feet passed the end line into the scattering cheerleaders.

"Jay!" Came from everywhere the bleachers, the bench, the court, even the band. The other girl rolled away. She later had her wrist wrapped. Troy tore off the bleacher onto the court, with his dad not far behind him. "Jay," she came to her hands and knees then to her feet, slightly wobbling but a small smile. There was a gasp from the crowd.

"I'm fine, I fell, happens all the time," She said. She felt fine, or almost fine, her chest hurt from the floor as did her head, but it was nothing but an acute pain.

"Jay," Troy said with a shaky voice.

"Babe, I'm fine," She said more definitely.

Troy stepped forward and touched her temple and held his fingers out for her to see. Blood. Jay's hand came to her head and she felt the warm liquid. She made a face. She threw up in her mouth, but it went back down leaving a horrible taste in her mouth.

"Troy take her to Matt, I'm going to find a janitor," Jack said. Jay then saw the small puddle of blood on the ground. She almost threw up again, but nothing came. The pain finally came in a big wave and a single tear slid down her face mixing with the blood. Troy led her down the court and out of the gym to the trainer's room. Matt was already there after seeing it happen.

"Can I play tonight?" Jay asked as he stopped the bleeding and put a bandage on her head after disinfecting it.

"I can't really tell how deep the cut is, but with all the blood it is easy to say that it is not shallow. And the way your head bounced on the ground worries me about a concussion. You will definitely want to get that checked out and stitches too maybe. Let's clean up your face and I want you to drink a lot of water, you could be slightly dehydrated already. With the loss of blood I am surprised you aren't dizzy or light-headed. You could try to play some at maybe the last two minutes or so of the half to see how you feel, but have your dad pull you if you feel dizzy at all. We don't want you to faint. So right now, on the bench, with water, and not too much yelling," Matt said and he threw away the last cotton ball. There was no more blood on her face and she and Troy walked back out to the bench. The janitors were finishing up and Troy went to tell their dad what the trainer said. Jay sat on the bench as the game resumed.

Troy took a seat next to her, "Just until halftime, I have to make sure my baby sis is ok."

"I'm older!" Jay shouted and it silenced the gym. She looked around sheepishly.

"I don't care, you'll always be my baby sister even it you are technically older. I am taller, there is a three-year-old reasoning," Troy said picking his words carefully as the noise returned.

The game continued and Jay finally went in near the end of the first half and she felt fine, and continued to play the game. Late in the fourth quarter, Jay's team was up by six, it would have been more, but the cougars had taken the advantage in the second quarter when Jay didn't play. Emma had done what Troy said and got the big 42 to foul out, making it easier for them under the basket and Ellie had gotten free throws from number 11 who was sitting on the bench with four reach in fouls.

"K.O. Jay!" Troy called from the bleachers for about the tenth time that game. Jay looked around but couldn't find it. She didn't see it until the last second, too late. She missed the pass, but saw her opening to steal as she came up on her man. Just as Jay was going for the ball, the other girl tried to dribble by her. They came to an awkward collision. Off-balanced, Jay went even more painfully down for a second time that night.

Tears were instantaneous as Jay hit the ground. It must have been some kind of instinct as Troy darted onto the court before the ref even called time. She was crying buckets hugging her left leg, but that hurt so she'd straighten it out and that would hurt too. Coach jogged out to find the trainer, who had disappeared.

"Jay," Troy came up to he came up to her, his voice in a breathy whisper. She cried out in pain and Troy beckoned Gracie over, "Hold her still," Troy ordered. "Jay, stop moving, what ever you did, you could make it worse." He straightened her knee out some against her protest, but she couldn't do anything as Gracie held her down. He felt around on her knee looking for a tear. It didn't feel like she felt cartilage, but there could have been a small tear in her ACL, or else she had hyper-extended it. There went her season, or part of one. "Come on Jay let's get you up. Keep your knee slightly bent."

"Uh, Troy, how?" Gracie asked, she was afraid of damaging Jay anymore.

"Um," Troy thought for a minute, "May not be the best way, but this is how we are going to do it. Jay, I want you to cross you wrists and I am going to pull you up. Gracie is going to grab your waist so you don't fall off to the side, but you are going to fall forward into me, and I'll watch out for your knee, don't worry. We are going to get you to the bench. I am going to step on your right toe, so curl it under so your foot doesn't slide." Troy thought about how this all should look in his head, hoping it would work. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Jay mumbled through the tears. She crossed her wrists and curled her toes under like she was told. Troy put a slight pressure on her toe first to make sure he wasn't on her toe, he wasn't.

He took her hands, "We are going on three, ready?" Jay nodded, "Ok, one, two, th-"

"No, no, no," Jay cried.

"So not your night Dreamer, ok, come on, calm down," Troy said partly to himself and partly to her. "Jay we have to get you off the floor, they can't play with you lying here."

"Come on Capt.," Gracie said.

"Ready to try this again?" Troy asked and Jay nodded, again. "Ok, I'm not stopping," Troy said taking her hands once more, "one, two, three," He pulled her up swiftly and she came into contact with his chest. She cried out in pain, "Keep your knee bent Jay," Troy instructed. He put an arm under her shoulders and Gracie did the same. "Ready? We are going to walk to the bench, try to stay off your knee." They slowly made their way off the court and the crowd, which had been silent through the whole affair, started to clap.

Jack came back with out the trainer, "I can't find Matt, he must have left. Troy, pull the car around," Jack pulled out his keys and tossed them to Troy. He grabbed them from the air and raced out of the gym. "CHAD!" Jack motioned him over, "I'm taking Jay to the hospital with Troy, play coach here with Coach Michaels," Jack directed then added quietly, "You know this stuff better."

"Yes Sir!" Chad saluted with a grin.

Troy came back inside and he and Jack carried a still crying Jay our to the car before driving to the hospital.

-------------

**AN: And that is it. I still like reviews telling me what you liked and what you didn't. And I will work on the next chapter and getting it up tomorrow.**


	3. Replacement

**AN: I don't really have a lot to say other than some people have asked about them being twins, and at the point in time I am saying yes, and that Jay is the one that is older by a short period of time. And this is really just a filler chapter until the next one that I hope will be typed soon afterwards.**

Chapter 3

"This sucks!" Jay complained the next morning as she hobbled into the kitchen, her crutches banged against the table loudly causing Troy to jump.

"Try to keep it down Jay," Jack said, "Your mother is still asleep."

"Yeah, yeah," Jay said plopping down in a chair. "I still don't see why I have to go to school when I was in the ER 'til one in the morning. I should at least get to stay home half a day."

"And you would get to school how?" Troy asked, "You can't exactly drive."

"I could too, the left leg doesn't do anything if you drive properly," Jay argued.

"Keep it down, please," Jack said placing a bowl of cereal in front of Jay.

"And I'm out ten weeks. That is the week of the championship if we even make it that far. And even then I would be 100."

"Good thing you're not a guys since our championship is the week before," Troy said.

"And be grateful, it could have been a lot worse you know," Jack said, "I blew my knee sophomore year and didn't even get the hope of playing again that season, I had to wait until my junior year, be thankful."

"And now I can't even snowboard when we go to Colorado, I'll be cooped up in the hotel all break, it really sucks," Jay whined.

"Which is why we should go to the beach," Troy added, he still hadn't given up hope yet.

"I can't surf there either," Jay said.

"You could sun bathe and get out of the hotel."

"And have excellent tan lines," she said sarcastically.

"Let's just eat," Jack said, "And remind me when we get to school I have an elevator key in my office for you Jay."

"I'm not going to use it," Jay said stubbornly.

"You should so you don't screw your knee up any more. Then you can say bye-bye championship," Troy said.

"Oh, don't tell me what to do Troy," Jay shot at him.

"Settle down, please, let's try to roll out of here in ten minutes," Jack said holding up his hands for peace.

"Fine," Jay said getting up. She hobbled off to get her bag ready. Troy picked up both his and hers bowls and set them in the sink before going to get his bag ready too.

-----------

Different people through out the day came up to Jay to wish her get wells and such, she was really annoyed by it, ready to pull out her hair, but she kept smiling none the less. After school she went to the little gym where the girls JV and Varsity practiced. The gym wasn't really small, it was the same size as the other one where the boys practiced and both genders played their games. The only real difference is the bleachers; there wasn't really any in the little gym.

Jay would be acting as manager and coach while she was on the injured list. "Ok girls," She called all the girls into a huddle, "There is obviously an opening starting spot that is now open. Coach and I will be picking the lucky lady out, so show us why you think you deserve the spot, ok, warm up ladies."

Jay was not looking forward to picking out her replacement. It was killing her that she couldn't dress out and practice with them. Finding a new starter really made it sink in that she couldn't play and she wasn't just going to be out for a week, but for ten.

"Keep smiling Dreamer, don't let them in. Everyday will get better once you get used to the pain," Troy said softly into her ear, his chin on her shoulder. She turned to look at him.

"That sounded like a song, which reminds me in my bored state last night trying to fall asleep I decided I needed something to do in my spare time now and I decided I want to steal your old guitar and learn to play."

"You already do I thought, and I don't care, just don't yell it out," Troy said.

"Ok, relearn it was a long time ago," Jay said, "So what do you need?"

"Boys won't listen to me, well they will but won't respond the way I want to them so I am hoping you can come play the mean one and work on our free throws. The cougars are big fouler, free throws will make or break us."

"What do you mean 'our free throws' shouldn't it be their free throws? Yours are perfect," Jay said.

"Trying team unity and we don't have to tell them that, I can screw up a few times," Troy said, "Will you help me?"

"Yes, just because I don't want to look for my replacement," Jay said, "I'll be there in a minute, I have to talk to Gracie, my new captain."

"Whatever, thanks," Troy said before walking out the door the connected the gyms through a short hallway.

"Gracie!" Jay motioned her over, "I am going to go be mean to the boys, will you look at the girls for my dreaded substitute. You are in charge, Capt."

"Ok, and you mean I am the new captain until you come back?" Gracie nodded.

"You were always my co-captain at the handshake," Jay said.

"Ok, thanks Jay, go make the little boys run," Gracie smiled and Jay hobbled off towards the other gym. She ran into trouble opening the door. She scared a small JV girl asking her to open the door for her. The poor girl looked close to tears, Jay was already in harsh mode.

Jay walked into the boys gym trying to hide an almost evil smile, "What did you tell her?" Chad whispered to Troy, who just shook his head.

"Now since I'm out of play, I want to help you guys and my girls. And while I was thinking about what would help you guys tonight, I thought of all the fouls called last time you played northwest. And so we will be working on free throws, they can win a game and lose a game.

"So rather than the monotonous line thing we usually do, split up into teams, we are going to have a little competition. Split into teams - Chad, you are not on Troy's team, make it more even, Gabe, that makes the teams uneven, Andrew stop sulking. After I finish my instructions, Troy I want to you to take your team to the other end. In ninety seconds increments you will line up and take a free throw one at a time, rebound your own ball and hand it off to the next person and go to the back of the line. You get two and only two balls. Whichever team has the most at the end wins and the losing team will run a suicide for the difference, yes Troy that is a math term for the answer to a subtraction problem. And now take your positions."

Troy took his team to the other end, grabbing two balls on the way down. "Count out loud too, so there is not cheating, Chad," Jay added, "Ready...set...go!"

"One!" Rang through the gym as each team made their first shot. It was mostly even with Troy's team making their shot a second before Chad's team.

"86…87…88…89…90, Stop!" Jay counted out the last few seconds. The noise of balls bouncing and shoes squeaking came to a stop. "Troy?" she shouted down to him.

"23," he said, his voice bouncing off the walls.

"Chad?"

"22," he said unhappily.

"On the line, it's only one down and back boys, go," Jay said as Troy directed his boys off to the sideline giving them room to run. The sound of shoes hitting the floor flooded the gym as Chad's team ran one suicide. They repeated the drill several more times and stopped once Chad's team beat Troy's, though Jay noticed that Troy missed half his shots on the last one. He was misaligning himself in front of the basket, purposefully she suspected.

She called them back down, "You lose on purpose?" She whispered to him as they came to a huddle. Troy just winked at her and she rolled her eyes, "Ok, so a short water break, I don't want to too tired before your game tonight. And then I want to set up a kind of around the world free throw thing. So you know how we have six baskets around the gym. It doesn't matter which one you start at or if you go in order, but you have to make two consecutive – there is another big word for you Troy – baskets at each one. One ball at each basket, don't all stand in line at one basket, go to different ones. Now if you miss the first shot of the pair it is a full down and back, if you miss the second shot, the it is half court and back," Jay explained a drill the girls often did. "I am going to go check on my ladies and when I get back we will start the drill, until then is your water break boys."

The boys went to the bleachers for their water bottles, "Why does she call the girls ladies, but we are boys," Jay heard Chad complain as she walked out and back to the girls.

The girls were doing some dribbling drills when Jay walked in. "Gracie!" Jay waved her, "So?"

"Abbey is best at ball handling, but Angelica is probably the best leader," Gracie reported.

"Ang always fit in better with us in the whole mind set like same wave link, and she's pretty good at reading plays and people."

"And you don't like Abbey," Gracie said.

"She has an attitude problem."

"She is good in tight spots, under pressure you know."

"Abbey is too pushy at times, she isn't always smart with the ball like Ang is, she takes some bad shots and sometimes just gives up on her opponent if they get by her," Jay countered.

"I say we offer up both names to coach and let him decide," Gracie said.

"Yeah, ok, here he comes," Jay looked up to see him coming over. Gracie went back to practice.

"How you doin' Jay?" he asked.

"Wish I was playing," Jay said simply.

"Who's looking good?"

"Gracie said Abbey, I was leaning towards Ang."

"I'll watch them both, you helping out the boys?"

"Yeah, I actually got to go back to them."

"Tell Troy to have them run their plays, especially the inbounds ones," Coached added at her back as she walked away.

"Aye-Aye captain," She said not turning back. She walked back to the boy's gym. She saw Troy had started them on the drill anyways telling her she took to long. She watched Troy throw up a shot without a care, missing horribly. He ran down and back, "Troy!" she called, "You done?" she asked when he got to her.

"Yeah, kinda. I'm just sorta screwing around now, seeing how bad I can miss," he smirked.

"Nice, real nice, dude," Jay laughed.

"What else am I suppose to do?"

"Go around again."

"I could go around five times and never miss."

"Egoistic."

"Not when it is all true."

"Whatever call a huddle, dad said to tell you to run your plays especially your inbounds ones. And make sure your boys stretch before they leave so they don't hurt themselves. And tell them to drink a lot of H2O. I am going to watch from the bleachers, I am so tired of standing," Jay said before going to sit in the bleachers. Troy called them all over and told them what to do. They were soon lined up in a formation for an inbounds play Jay recognized as the girls ran it too. Half was on offense and half and turned their jersey to play defense. They ran the play and it worked with Troy sinking a shot. They all looked at Jay. "Do it again," She said. She concentrated on the guy's movements, "Ok, Jason, you are moving too soon, wait longer so Aaron can really set a good pick, it is useless otherwise. Chad, simplify your movement to the top for the safety hatch position. Troy, look less obvious coming in from passing the ball in, they will expect to you be the shooter."

They ran the play several more times before Jay was satisfy and then they moved on to another play. "Lookin' good boys," Coach said walking in. "Make sure you stretch before you leave. Hit the shower and be back up here by 5:30. Good work gentlemen, Troy, break 'em down." Coach went back to the girl's practice, but stuck his head in, "Troy, take your sister home please, thanks." And he was gone.

Troy nodded, "Ok boys, rest up and eat something before you come. We are going to kick some cougar butt tonight. Wildcats on 3," Troy raised his right hand in the middle of the circle and the other boys followed in suit.

"1, 2, 3, Wildcats!" Came the low grunt from each boy and they started to disperse.

"Do it again with more enthusiasm," Jay said from the bleachers, "Let the secretaries all the way in the office hear you! It is the first home game of the season!"

Troy pulled them back together, "Alright Jay's right, loud and proud gentlemen," Troy said raising his right hand again. "Wildcats on three!" He said loudly.

"One, two, three, WILDCATS!" Came a deafening roar.

"Back in five, Jay," Troy shouted to her as he headed for the locker room. She gathered her things and walked to the door to the gym, and waited for him. He joined her a few minutes later, "Let's roll."

--------------

**AN: And that is it. Please press the pretty button and leave me a review telling me what you think.**


	4. Ice Anyone?

**AN: Ok, this chapter speeds up to the mid December point and the last day of school before winter break. I kinda fill it in, Jay's still on crutches and I think that is all I need to tell you, not that you couldn't figure it out on your own hopefully.**

Chapter 4

The boys won their game that night. And the season went on with out Jay, Gracie stepping up into the captain position and filling Jay's shoes. And she kept and undefeated season, but with several close calls. The boys continued to dominate with Troy leading the way. One night mid-December after a close boys game, Troy and Jay were sitting on her bed before lights out.

"I think that it is time for you to date someone for more than a week. Like one, good, steady, two-month fling," Jay said to Troy.

"I would if all the girls in our school weren't so repulsive. And what about you?" Troy said.

"You want a repeat of my last steady relationship?" Jay asked looking at him strangely.

"I never said to copy that one," Troy made a face.

"I didn't think so."

"But if I should try it, so should you. Besides it's not like I do a lot of dating."

"Says the guy who dated half of all the cheerleading squads."

"Said by the girl who has dated almost all of the varsity and JV soccer guys."

"Soccer guys are hot."

"In a girls perspective, as a guy, I can't say that, it is too weird."

"Ok, answer me this."

"Isn't it riddle me this?" Troy interrupted.

"Yes, but this isn't a riddle, I just want an answer," Jay said, "If you had to go gay for guy in our school, who would it be?"

Troy thought for a moment before slowly saying, "If being a keyword, if I was gay for a guy from our school," Troy stopped again to think, "This is so weird and awkward, ok this is never leaving the room."

"I'll answer too and as long as my answer is secret so is yours."

"Ok, um, Chris Williams," Troy finally said.

"Carli Weir," Jay said.

"A soccer player of course."

"Soccer players are hot," Jay repeated.

"Are you saying that she is hot?"

"No I am talking in general, she just happens to fall under the generality."

"Of course. What about a teacher, it also doesn't leave the room," Troy said.

"Bartley, no, Platens," Jay said after a moment of thinking."

"Pendleton."

"Someone from the subject you suck at."

"Shut up," Troy threw a pillow at her.

"One week left until winter break."

"No more games."

"Not having to always use the crutches. And then totally off of them in three weeks, which is of course the week we get _back_ from Colorado."

"No more five mile 'jogs' as dad calls them."

"He can still make you do them even when there is no practice."

"No more school for two weeks," Troy said.

"So Chris Williams?" Jay said looking at him; she looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"I needed a name."

"Well, I think he is hot."

"You think every guy is hot."

"Not every guy, not Randy, ew gross," Jay made a face.

"Oh, totally with you on that one," Troy nodded.

"Lights out," Their mom stuck her head in.

Troy helped Jay scramble under the covers, "Goodnight Jay, just one week left," he kissed her forehead and walked out to his own room.

---------

"Head up Jay, we are officially on winter break," Troy said to Jay as he came up behind her. She looked down as everyone was running out of school after the last final.

"It is just a reminder that I can't do anything," Jay said depressed.

"What?" Troy stopped and looked at her.

"Think about it Troy, it will come to you," she said as she continued to walk away and was lost in the crowd of people.

Troy stood there thinking. He hit himself on the head when it finally came to him. Since they had gotten their restricted license and car and started driving to school, on the last day of a quarter they would race to the car. The one who got there first got to drive home and drive to school for the next quarter.

"I was getting ready to just leave you here," Jay said when Troy finally reached the car.

"Sorry about that," Troy told her and she walked around to the passenger side and got in. She was mad at him or maybe just the world. Troy sighed and got in. He turned the key in the ignition and backed out of the space and drove home. They sat in total silence. He would talk to her later, hopefully. He approached her that night before dinner, "I know you are mad at me, but I forgot and I am really sorry my dreamer."

"Of course you forgot, it doesn't take you five minutes to go up or down a flight of stairs," She said angrily and turned up her stereo really loud.

Troy grabbed the remote from her and turned it off, "You seriously need to stop bottling stuff up and start talking."

"You seriously need to stop acting like you know what it is like, like you understand."

"You are right, I don't understand, but I am trying to help, and you are the most stubborn person on the planet."

"Not stubborn, just opinionated."

"Just talk or yell I don't care, or something to vent before you explode."

"I can't! Troy what do you do when you are mad at dad or the team or anyone?"

"I throw pillows around my room before changing and going for an insanely long jog," Troy said automatically, it was always the same, same pillows at the same places and the same route the led past the school and the movie theatre and the old arcade, the park, an old basketball court and through the 'rich' neighborhood before coming home.

"Exactly, and I do the same thing, and so does dad. We Boltons vent and blow off steam playing ball and running and working out and I can't! I can't do anything to vent so I am a ticking time bomb and there is nothing you can do about it."

"There are other ways to vent Jay."

"Like how?"

"Like..."

"See, you can't even think of anything."

"Hold on," Troy left the room and came back with his guitar in hand, "You wanted to play, so play," he gave it to her.

"I don't remember how, that was like when we were eight."

"Just try it, maybe it is like riding a bike and you don't forget." Jay started to pluck the strings. It didn't sound very good. "Actually try, you are wanting it to sound really bad to try and prove a point to me," Troy instructed, "Start by taking a deep breath like before a free throw."

Jay glared at him for his reference, but did it anyways. She started to play again and it started to come back to her, it sounded better too. It seemed to reflect her melancholy mood.

"Sounds like you," Troy said.

"Shut up."

Troy sat down on the floor and leaned against her closed door. "I think I like it."

"Would you like words?"

"Oh god, please no."

They sat and listened to her play, and vent at the same time until their mom called them down for dinner.

---------------

"I guess you found a new hobby," Troy said walking into the hotel room that he and Jay were sharing for vacation through the door that connected it to their parents' room. She was leaning against the headboard of her bed plucking at his guitar.

She set it aside, "Well there is nothing else to do here, your are always out snowboarding or practicing with Dad. I'm bored."

"Make a friend, there are tons of families with kids here," Troy said as he peeled off his shirt and under shirt.

"Do you really have to undress here?" Jay glared at him, he just laughed.

"You call almost every guy in our school hot, am I?" He asked throwing his shirt at her.

"I can't say, it is too weird," Jay said throwing the shirt back at him as he pulled another one out of his bag and pulled in it. He caught the shirt and tossed it into a pile they were making of dirty clothes.

"Even in our real situation, with the techincality?" He asked pulling out a pair of shorts. He pushed the ones he was wearing down and kicked into the dirty clothes pile and pulled the clean ones on.

"Still no, now what?"

"Lets go see what's all around the hotel, maybe we can get something going," He pulled her off the bed and handed her crutches to her.

"Remember the tag game of '01?" Jay laughed.

They had been in Texas and gotten a tag game going with some other kids that had spanned the whole hotel. They had a lot of fun until security stopped them.

They told their parents they were off to explore and head down the hall. There were a lot of families there for New Years Eve, many with children or teens like them; it was a perfect for getting something going.

Jay got an evil idea as they past an ice machine. She grabbed a stray ice cube and shoved it down the back of Troy's shirt.

He yelped and did a funny little dance to get it out, "Jeanette Elizabeth!" She fell against the wall laughing. Troy hit the button on the machine and more ice cubes tumbled down. He grabbed one and slipped it down Jay's shirt.

She smacked him in the arm as she got it out, "Troy Alexander, you are so DEAD!" Troy walked backwards, taunting her as she grabbed some more ice and hobbled after him. "This is so unfair, I'm on crutches," Jay tried to chase him down.

Troy wasn't looking backwards and hit someone and Jay took the opportunity to get to him and shove the ice down his shirt. He shrieked an apology. He fished the ice cube out and picked Jay up. He carried her back to the machine. He stuck a couple cubes down her shirt.

"Troy! You are such a jerk!" Jay said leaning against the machine, "Get my crutches."

"Nah, I think I'll leave you there for a while," He grinned and walked away very slowly, he had no intention of really leaving her there, but was whistling to himself.

Jay didn't know that and thought he was really going to leave her. She took a deep breath and cursed herself for not taking any pain medication that morning. And she took a step towards where her crutches lay on the ground. Pain ran up and down her leg. She gritted her teeth and took another step, staying close to the wall. "Troy, comeback here and please get them. This really, really hurts." Troy really hadn't gotten anywhere and looked back at her. He saw her painful expression, "Please before I fall, Troy."

Troy took another look at her. She could have made the meanest of people crumble. She looked helpless and desperate. He leaned down and picked up her crutches up and walked back to her and gave them to her. "If you just blew my chance at playing in the championship, I'm murdering you in your sleep tonight," She said venomously.

"I didn't think you would actually try and walk."

"I thought you were really leaving me."

"I would never do that, I never had an intention of doing that."

"You could so easily, you have almost all of the cards in your hand, I am just a few."

"Come on, I think I saw some people our age that would be a good sport and have an ice fight with us."

"Rule one, no running."

"Think they will go for it and not think we are crazy and call security?" Troy said nodding to a corner.

"Let me look at them," Jay said turning the corner and looked at about 4 guys sitting against opposite walls and bouncing a ball back and forth. "Let's do some preparing. We will need a bag for them and us, paper and a pen. I'll play look out, you go get it," Jay said. Troy disappeared and returned moments later. Jay took the paper and pen and wrote, _Care to play?_ and taped it to the bag. They filled it with ice and then another for themselves. Jay grabbed the note and flipped it to the back and wrote, _Rule #1: No Running!_ Troy slid the bag down to the boys when they weren't looking. Jay limped slowly along the intersection watching them. They looked confused. She nodded at Troy, who chucked a piece of ice at them before hiding behind the corner again. It hit one of the guys in the chest. They looked around wildly but only saw Jay on her crutches. She looked over and saw Troy talking up a blonde. He handed the blonde a piece of paper and whispered something to her. She smiled and walked down to the boys and gave them the note and continued to walk away. "What's it say?" Jay asked her brother once back at his hiding place.

"Never doubt a sight," Troy said, "They so were not taking you seriously, get them thinking, you know?"

"Ah, good id-" Jay started.

"Go that way, I think I hear them coming, and take this, hobble fast, just one," Troy interrupted. He winked at her and she passes the boys as she went. She turned to see that Troy was hidden out of sight. She looked in her hand and saw that Troy had given her a paper towel with ice cubes in it. She smiled an evil little smile. The last boy was not too far from her. She pressed the elevator call button when she saw Troy spring into action. She shoved the ice she had down the shirt of the nearest boy before scrambling into the elevator, hitting the close doors button. Troy told her to go up just one floor, so she pressed the number four. She stepped out of the elevator and quickly located the nearest ice machine. She hit the button several times getting a lot of ice to fill the bottom overflow dish. She heard the boys coming and armed herself. Troy slid around the corner and up to her grabbing some ice as the others were right behind him being attacked by Jay. The machine became the center of attention as each side ran out of ice quickly.

The group of 4 boys had been good competitors and thankfully went along with the crazy ice war. The machine finally wouldn't spit out anymore ice and the six teenagers collapsed on the floor laughing, each sopping wet.

"So what are your names?" A boy asked after the laughter died down.

"I'm Troy and this is my sister Jeanette, but we call her Jay," Troy introduced, "And you?"

"I'm Tim, this is my brother Jase, that my cousin Nate and his brother Ben," The boy said, pointing out each boy. "We're from Wyoming, what about you?"

"New Mexico," Jay spoke up.

"If you don't mind me asking, I'm curious what happened to you?" Nate asked.

"Oh, I screwed up my knee up in a basketball games, but in a week I am off the crutches. But I will still have the brace," Jay said.

"Oh," Was all that came.

"Won the game at least," Troy said, "And you had to have five stitches in your head from when that girl took you out on that lay-up."

"Oh yuck, blood," Jay made a face that caused the group to laugh.

"Sounds like a bad night," Jase commented.

"Second worse night of my life," Jay said more solemnly.

"Second? What's first?" Ben asked.

"First is first for a reason and will stay unknown," Jay said definitely.

Troy looked away down the hall trying to think of a way to change the subject for Jay.

"So are you guys like twins?" Tim asked.

"Something like that," Troy said, "So are you guys here for the whole New Years thing?"

They nodded, "Us too," Jay said.

--------------

**AN: And that is it. Please leave me a review telling me what you think.**


	5. Since When Could You Do That?

**AN: Hey people if anyone has actually gotten this far reading it, um, I just wanted to forewarn you that I am trying to get all of my chapters up for this story like really fast, but Saturday I am leaving for vacation for three weeks and so I won't be back until the 30th of June and I will not be updating in those three weeks. So I know this won't be the last chapter I will post, but sometime one of these chapter will be the last one, but if you care, the story has nine chapter plus and epilogue. And I am done rambling for any of you who actually read all of that.**

Chapter 5

Jay sat on her bed in the hotel on New Years Eve plucking Troy's guitar again as he showered and got ready for the 'young adult' party as their mom had called it. It had been a couple days since the infamous 'Ice Fight' as the Wyoming boys named it. They had become friends and a good source of entertainment for the Boltons.

Troy stepped out of the bathroom, "Ready Jay?" he asked.

"I was ready long before," Jay said setting the instrument aside and standing up. She grabbed her crutches from the end of the bed and limped off. They walked downstairs to where the party was. There was a great deal of hubbub happening at the party: games, tons of people, dancing, music – including the notorious karaoke – food, drinks – all nonalcoholic – and everything else.

Jay stuck close to Troy as they mingled. He cleared a path for her as they walked. They leaned up against a giant pole and took in the scene. A spotlight fell on Troy and they looked at each other. The other people wanted him to sing as they brought up a shy looking girl up on the platform. "No, I can't, I don't sing," Troy tried to resist. He didn't sing, nor did anyone else in the family except for Jay to annoy Darbus and every once in the while in the car.

They finally got him up on the 'stage' and he could hear Jay's laugh ringing out above the crowd. He knew that he had to be turning red. The girl next to him looked timid and didn't look at him. The music started and Troy saw the words on the screen. She – the girl – didn't look like she was going to sing, so Troy took a deep breath and started. Yuck, he thought as he started. He cleared his throat and continued anyways. He saw his Wyoming friends across the room laughing their butts off.

Troy was ready to walk off the stage when he heard her sing. It was beautiful. Jay waved him back up. As she sang, Troy felt his confidence grow. And it was like basketball, if you were confident in your shot or ability, the better you played. Once he got a look at the girl he saw she was as beautiful as her voice. Troy prayed he would screw up as he shrugged off his jacket knowing that it would find its way to Jay. Troy and the girl each had their confidence grow throughout the song as they sang. He looked at her after they finished and applause rang out.

Now awkward, Troy stuck out his hand, "Troy."

"Gabriella," She said shaking his hand.

Troy stared at her a moment longer before they were ushered off the stage, "I gotta check on my sister," He said as he nodded in the direction, "Come on." And they found their way over to Jay with Gabriella behind Troy.

"Since when could you do that?" Jay asked Troy as she handed him his jacket.

"Since I don't know. Gabriella, this is my sister Jay, Jay, Gabriella," Troy introduced, still slightly out of breath.

"Geez, you are out of breath after a song, but yet you still can run five miles and barely be panting when I am ready to die," Jay teased him.

"That is my cue to leave you, have fun getting around Jay," Troy turned around, "Gabriella?" he motioned towards the door with a nod and a smile. "So do you do a lot of singing, you have an amazing voice," He said as they reached the outside.

"No not really, just church is about it. Nothing ever like that. It was fun. What about you?" Gabriella asked.

"As you can tell from my sister's reaction, no, not at all. My shower head is my most welcoming audience," Troy laughed.

"It didn't sound like that at all, it was nice."

A count down started somewhere, "10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1," Troy looked at Gabriella as she looked up at him. A thousand thoughts were running through his mind and not one of them coherent.

"I better find my mom, I want to wish her a happy New Years," Gabriella broke the silence.

"Me too, my mom, and dad, and Jay, um..." He drifted off.

"I'll call you!" Gabriella came up with the idea.

"Yes, put your number in," Troy pulled out his phone and took a picture of her then handing it to her. She handed him her phone and he took his own picture before punching in his number, "Here," he handed it back to her. She walked away and Troy had on a small smile as he went to find Jay.

"You like her," Jay said from behind him with a smirk of knowledge placed on her face.

"She's nice," Troy smiled.

"And we are leaving at 6 am Romeo, let's grab some sleep," Jay grabbed his sleeve and dragged him in the direction of the door.

"What did you do?" Troy asked narrowing his eyes as he saw the look.

"Nothing," Jay said innocently.

"You've done something flirty, I can tell."

"Well, I may or may not have made out with Tim while you were gone and I was bored. AND you are not going to go find him and beat him up," Jay said continuing to pull at his sleeve.

"I knew it! You had that look," Troy said.

"I made you my dating idol. I'm going to go on a million first dates that are more like one night stands where you don't actually do anything," Jay said as they walked down the hallway.

"Hey, I'll have you know, I am actually very happy with my ability to say that I have never slept with anyone unlike some people I know," He looked at her as they rode the elevator up.

"You aren't normal. Guys are supposed to have bed notches. And don't look at me, because I haven't either," Jay defended as they stepped out of the elevator.

"Danny Silverman," Troy said simply.

"The one time I even thought about sleeping with him was, well , you know, the time you walked in," Jay said hastily as they reached their room. Troy unlocked it and held the door open for her. They changed into their pajamas and sat on Jay's bed.

"Really?" Troy asked disbelieving picking back up on their conversation.

"I swear to God. Just don't go asking him that. He tells people we did, but we didn't," Jay said, "So what was the deal with the girl, Gabriella?"

"I don't know. She's beautiful. I don't even know where she lives," Troy said. He pulled out his phone and showed Jay the picture.

"Another number for your little black book," Jay teased him.

"Sorry, that is my other phone," Troy laughed.

"We should go to bed, we have to get up early for out flight back," Jay sighed. They climbed into bed and fell asleep.

-----------

"Just a few more days on the crutches," Troy said the day they got back to school.

"God, I can't wait to get off of them. Though they are nice to lean on kinda or some of the time," Jay said as they ventured into their homeroom with Darbus. Troy sat on his desk talking to Zeke as Jay took her seat and talked to Chad next to her.

"So how long until you are sprung?" Chad asked.

"One week officially with absolutely no crutches, but I don't always have to use them around the house now. So this morning I walked down to breakfast under my own power, first time in forever," Jay said proudly.

"With Troy right behind you waiting to catch you," Chad added and they laughed, "Congrats anyway, ready for the championship?"

"Mentally, yes; Emotionally, yes, hopefully; physically, unfortunately no," Jay said. Something caught her eye as she looked around the room. There, the person coming through the door. Jay was first to see her before se caught Troy's eye too. The bell rang seconds later.

Jay hoped and prayed for a miracle as she saw Troy pull out his phone. _Don't let him get caught, don't let him get caught, please god don't let him get caught,_ She prayed.

No luck. It made a sound and got Darbus's attention. Troy tried to hide it, but not fast enough and earned himself a detention. Dad would not be very happy about it, and Chad went and got himself a detention too.

Troy looked back at her. It was her, the girl from Colorado, Gabriella. Jay had gotten an earful about her from Troy. He had a goofy smile on which told Jay everything. She sighed silently. Halfway threw Darbus's reminder of the winter musicale auditions, Jay got up, grabbing her crutches and walked out. She liked being able to leave early. She walked down to her next class and stood outside the door until the bell rang. After all the students from came out she went in and took her seat.

"You talk to her?" Jay asked Troy as he came in and took his seat beside her.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"And?"

"Nothing, we talked and she just walked away after Sharpay got her claws into her. So to speak all metaphorically of cour-"

"Stop rambling right there, I got it."

"I was not rambling," Troy lied knowing that he had.

"You were going to, I could tell."

"Whatever."

"So are you going to come watch me annoy Darbus at the musical auditions? Come on you know you want to watch me make a fool of myself. And watching all the others too is better than American Idol."

"I think about it, but the tentative answer is no, and you know Chad will be on my back about working out during free period, but I'll think about it. That reminds me of the end of the year bash Chad threw in '99."

"Oh yeah, I remember that! What did we get Chad to sing?" Jay asked trying to think of it, "It is going to bother me all day." It was a competition of worst performance ever.

"Whatever song Brittany Spears was on," Troy said. The bell rang and the teacher started class.

-----------

Jay had a tradition from the start of her freshman year of annoying Darbus and the Evans twins by watching and laughing loudly at the people who tried out for the musical. Darbus would say that is wasn't as easy as it looked. Jay retaliated and said it was. Darbus would say something along the lines of why don't you try. Jay would laugh and say she didn't know the song, but that she would sing something else. Jay would ask if she could use the piano and then sing as horribly as she could, but with confidence and she say I told you so. And today was no different, except she would ask for a guitar knowing that she had set Troy's old one back stage.

After one rather disturbing audition it started as Jay was unable to control her laughter.

"Miss Bolton, will you please stop disturbing our auditions. It is not polite to laugh. These people are putting themselves out there and you are making fun of them. It is not as easy as it looks.

"Sure it is," Jay said.

"Would you like to try, I am sure you will find it more daunting than it seems from the back row."

"I don't know the song. But I would sing something else, I just need a guitar," Jay thought up the songs she had learned as she limped up to the stage leaving her crutches in the seats. She had taken a bunch of pain meds that morning to try and block out the pain. And that gave an idea of what to sing. Someone handed her the guitar from backstage and she looked out into the audience. There is the back row was Troy hiding with Gabriella. She hid a smile at this and took a seat on the stool she borrowed from the pianist, Kelsi she thought her name was. She tuned the guitar before school and then started to play the opening chords. She saw Troy mouth the word 'Thief' as he recognized his guitar in her hands.

_And so I wrote this song for you_

_I think I know just what you're going through_

_Did you believe you'd never change_

_Nothing ever stays the same_

_I know it's hard holding on_

_Even harder trying to let it go_

_And so you're frozen like a stone_

_But you are not alone_

_Every step I take_

_I get a little less afraid_

_Of giving into love_

_Love, let it out_

_Believe me when I say_

_It gets better every day_

_Once you get used to the pain_

_What you hide inside I see_

_There's a scar that's always gonna be_

_There's a past in everyone_

_You can't undo, you can't outrun_

_Every step I take_

_I get a little less afraid_

_Of giving into love_

_Love, let it out_

_Believe me when I say_

_It gets better every day_

_Once you get used to the pain_

_Every step I take_

_I get a little less afraid_

_Of giving into love_

_Love, let it out_

_Believe me when I say_

_It gets better every day_

_Once you get used to the pain_

_Once you get used to the pain_

Jay finished the song before saying, "See easy, you just have to pretend you know what you are doing."

"Will you stop disrupting my auditions and kindly remove yourself from the theatre and take that absurd instrument with you," Darbus said annoyed.

"Oh with pleasure," Jay said hobbling off the stage, she ducked back in after she left to grab her crutches and took a seat across the aisle from Troy and Gabriella. Sharpay and Ryan walked onstage.

"This should be good," Jay whispered with a silent laugh.

"You are such a thief, I thought we left it Colorado," Troy whispered back.

"It hasn't even been in your room since you gave it to me that one day. And I don't leave things in hotel rooms like you do. I am thinking about that one in Arizona where you left the travel TV for he car."

"Shut up," Troy grumbled and focused on the stage until he saw what was happening on it.

"What did she steal?" Gabriella asked confused.

"My guitar," Troy said.

"That's yours? I didn't know you played."

"No one does. I haven't played in forever. Our mom had Jay and I pick up an instrument when we were eight. Dad had me choose the guitar as it was the only real 'manly' thing he could stand. Jay picked up the piano but hated it so secretly learned how to play my guitar until mom caught her. She stole it back after she injured herself and needed something to do so she hasn't given it back yet," Troy explained. He saw Sharpay and Ryan finish, "We should go," he said and they ducked out, Jay was not too far behind them. She left for her next class after stashing the guitar back stage again to get after school.

--------

"Dude, I got to talk to you," Troy pulled Jay away from talking to Gracie, "And sorry for calling you a dude."

"Dude what is your problem, I can't go that fast," Jay mocked him as she tried to keep up, "And I am not sorry for calling you a dude."

"Come on," Troy took her up to his secret spot, "Ok so you know the theatre thing," Troy started.

"Yes," Jay said exasperated.

"Calm down, I didn't mean to pull you that fast, I just needed to talk to you about this. So after you left and Darbus called the end of auditions. Gabriella kinda went back in there to sing needed a partner and it turned out to be me walking out there. And everyone else had already left. And Darbus said no. Then Kelsi tripped on stage and Gabriella and I went up to help her pick up her stuff. And she told us that Sharpay and Ryan screwed up her song basically. And we then we ended up singing the song and even though Darbus had left she must have waited outside the door and heard us or something. And now I have a callback," Troy rushed through his explanation of what happened.

"What!" Jay exclaimed, "You didn't really even try out did you? But yet you still got a callback – that you didn't want right?"

"Right, definitely, so, um, what now Jay?"

"Oh yeah, like I am suppose to know, you are kinda screwed."

"Thanks, thanks a lot Jay, like I didn't already know that."

"I really don't know what to tell you my prince of peas."

"Me neither, and don't call me that."

They sat in silence until Jay spook up, "So you know all the stairs leading up to this place?"

"What about them?" Troy asked.

"You wanna carry me down them?"

"Want to? No. Will? Yes, I brought you up here, I'll take you back down," Troy said.

"Thank you, I love you," Jay said.

"Ok," Troy said awkwardly.

"You seriously need to stop that. Troy, we are family, you are my brother forever and always, it is ok, stop being such a guy," Jay glared at him, "It is not like I am some sort of cheerleader."

"Ok, let's go before the bell rings," Troy said with a small smile. He bent down, "Get on Jay."

"With pleasure my noble steed," Jay climbed onto his back. Troy took her crutches and walked down the stairs. Just before he got to the door that led back out into the hallway Jay slid off his back and took her crutches from him. Troy held the door open for her and she hobbled through.

-----------

**AN: And there is the next chapter, maybe the longest. So now you can kinda see or should be able to see elements from the movie. I will use parts and incorporate them or mention them in the passing. Please, please leave me a review telling me what you think or of any questions you have and then I am going to start work on the next chapter.**


	6. Issues

**AN: So here is the next chapter, um, I had something else to say but can't remember now, whatever, enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 6

With a smile later that week, Jay walked into school under her own power without her crutches, though Troy was carrying them behind her just in case. Chad looked up to see the sight and started to clap and a few of the other guys joined in, "Looking good there Jay, no metal."

"The metal is dragging a few feet behind," Jay said with a smile as Troy held them up.

"Hey I am just being cautious. I want you to play in the game," Troy said, "And let's keep going. Dad said to set them in the nurse's office. And if we want to make it to class on time..."

"He is still making fun of me for being slow," Jay rolled her eyes and limped off. Walking with out the crutches and not being hyped up on pain pills was a lot harder than she thought it would be. A loud scream echoed through the school, "Looks like Sharpay found your callback."

"Don't remind me. I've been praying it was a dream. Hopefully no one else will look at it," Troy said unhappily, "I've pinched myself a hundreds times and I think I have a permanent red spot on my arm now."

"Fat luck anyone not looking, Sharpay loves attention," Jay said pulling open the door to the nurse's office. Troy motioned to her as he set the crutches in the corner. She just nodded and they walked out.

"What did you do with my guitar after the try outs? I was looking for it last night," Troy asked pretending not to have a care in the world.

"I, uh," Jay had to think, "I put it back stage to get after school that day and never got it, so it is still back there, I forgot."

"Way to remember Jay, way to remember," Troy laughed.

"Shut up!" Jay pushed him.

"Now I understand why your English grade isn't as mine, you forget everything," Troy teased her.

"Stop making cracks about my grades before I say something about your math grade," Jay argued.

"New semester, new grade, I still have an A, or maybe a B already."

"Then that goes for mine too. And whatever happened to helping me. You owe me from November 22nd one year ago. You wouldn't have been playing if it wasn't for me and my knowledge of logarithms, I saved your butt and you haven't repaid me yet. I want to collect my dues, now!"

"Calm down Jay," Troy said, "And it wasn't all you, I did some of it too, I was the one actually taking the test," He argued back.

"Who was it begging for help literally on their knees that night, I know that it wasn't me because it was you!"

"I was not! You are exaggerating."

"Oh no I am not!"

"Like you have proof!"

"I do actually. Jack took a picture."

Troy stopped arguing and looked at her, "Jack, Jack has a picture."

"It's the fourteenth, it's going to be Jack," Jay limped off pitifully, but she wouldn't let anyone know the pain in her heart or the lump in her throat or the relentlessness throb of her head.

Troy stood there staring after her, "Dude what's up with you?" Chad came up to him.

"Jack, she said Jack. She called him Jack, I can't believe this," Troy said shocked.

"Dude it's the fourteenth, you know she is going to say Jack," Chad said holding back what he was going to say about the notice board.

"After all these years it is still Jack, I swore we got over this last year," Troy was still dumbfounded.

"Just let her be, we have more important matters to discuss involving you and the notice board," Chad said directing the conversation to where he wanted it. Troy looked at him and stalked off to the library, with Chad not far behind him.

Jay walked off towards the auditorium. She needed to vent, she needed to cry, she needed to be angry, she needed to yell, but she wouldn't do any of that. She needed to do something to feel anything but the pain. She grabbed the guitar from backstage and walked back out off the stage. She took an aisle seat and started to play. It didn't sound like anything, just a bunch of random notes put together. When they finally started to sound like something she knew it took her a second to find the words.

_Sunny days seem to hurt the most._

_I wear the pain like a heavy coat._

_I feel you everywhere I go._

_I see your smile, I see your face,_

_I hear you laughin' in the rain._

_I still can't believe you're gone._

_It ain't fair: you died too young,_

_Like the story that had just begun,_

_But death tore the pages all away._

_God knows how I miss you,_

_All the hell I've been through,_

_Just knowin' no-one could take your place._

_An' sometimes I wonder_

_Would you see the world? Would you chase your dreams?_

_Settle down with a family,_

_I wonder what would you name your babies?_

_Some days the sky's so blue,_

_I feel like I can talk to you,_

_An' I know it might sound crazy._

_It ain't fair: you died too young,_

_Like the story that had just begun,_

_But death tore the pages all away._

_God knows how I miss you,_

_All the hell I've been through,_

_Just knowin' no-one could take your place._

_An' sometimes I wonder,_

_Who you'd be today?_

_Today, today, today._

_Today, today, today._

_Sunny days seem to hurt the most._

_I wear the pain like a heavy coat._

_The only thing that gives me hope,_

_Is I know I'll see you again some day._

_Some day, some day, some day._

It flowed back into nonsensical notes. There was a crash backstage. Jay stopped playing and looked up. Stumbling out, looking around sheepishly, was Ryan. He didn't seem to notice her as his eyes passed right over her. He sat down at the piano. He sat with good posture Jay noticed, with his shoulders back and back straight. Jay had a tendency to slump and her mom always got on her for it when she played. He started to play and Jay heard a few mess-ups in his melody. But it was different then that she expect from him. It was almost melancholy. Nothing like the happy-go-lucky, a little slow, and a little over the top (just look at his clothes) Ryan Evans. Jay couldn't ever recall a time he was ever in a t-shirt and jeans like normal people.

She almost missed him started to sing words to the sad little tune. And it wasn't show tune-y or glamorous, but more dark which also caught Jay off guard.

_"I can't believe your back_

_After all this time_

_After all you did_

_I can't believe your back_

_Here to crush the pieces even more_

_Here to make her darker_

_Make her harder_

_Cause..."_

Nothing came next. He started from the beginning again and Jay was drowning in interest. She listened to the melody and started to pluck softly along with him barely able to hear herself. "Cause," Ryan hit the piano keys making it groan, obviously frustrated. He started to play from the beginning once more. When he came to the end of what he had Jay continued to play lightly. She felt the notes even though she could barely hear them. And after hearing the first part several more times, she knew the words too that should come next. Now all she needed to do was to make her presence known. But she felt like she was intruding on him, it didn't feel right.

One last time she grew false confidence and played louder, blending the strings of her guitar in perfectly with the piano. And when he reached the last word he had, Jay took a deep breath and played, knowing that he could hear her. He didn't turn around but just listened to her as she started to sing,

_"She's just a shadow_

_She's just a shadow of who she used to be_

_Before you came and tore her down_

_Before you crushed the pieces_

_She's just a shell now of the girl she was_

_Before she met you_

_Before she met you."_

She held on to the last note to delay facing the boy on the piano bench. Ryan finally turned around and looked at her slightly embarrassed and slightly in awe. "Sorry," she said quickly.

"When did you get here? I never heard the door," he asked.

"I was actually here before you."

"Oh," he said awkwardly looking at his shoes. The auditorium was filled with the uncomfortable silence. They had never really said more to a word to each other despite going to school together since the fourth grade. "So where'd that come from?"

"I have no idea," Jay said, "So did you write the first part?"

"No…" he said burying his head in his hand so she almost missed the, "yes."

"Why isn't it cotton candy and lollipop? It just doesn't seem like you, or at least how people perceive you."

"That was kinda the point, for it to be different."

"Oh," Jay said lamely as silence took over again. A bell rang and Jay got up quickly and gathered her stuff and started to walk out.

"Hey!" he called out just before she reached the door.

"Yeah?" She turned to look at him.

"Can I write down what you said?"

"Claim it as your own, I don't care," She said before walking out.

The world was weird. She had a fight with Troy, and an almost normal conversation with Ryan, the world was definitely all screwed up. And she still had the guitar with her. She set in inside the door to Troy's secret spot and went to class. She was late, but it didn't matter, the teachers couldn't give her a detention or count her tardy because of a doctor's note in the nurse's office.

During class Troy slipped her a note, 'I'm sorry' it said and Troy's face said it too.

'Me too' she wrote on it and slid it back to him. So they were ok, not good or great, but not bad, just ok.

"Jay!" Troy called after her after the class ended. She turned to look at him.

"Yeah?" She said back.

"I want to talk to you," Troy said taking her to the side to lean on a locker, "I know I was sorta a jerk earlier. And I know this isn't your best day. And in know I was out of line. And I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted. But I want to be mad for a while," Jay said walking away.

Troy looked after her and sighed. It was just like her to say something like that. It bugged Troy. He was ready to kick the locker next to him when he saw whose it was. It was Gabriella's. He had an idea. He took out some paper and a pen and started to write.

Jay felt guilty about what she did to Troy. But she needed to be mad. It made the day easier for her, at least this day. Anger was easier that sadness.

--------------

"So are we ok?" Troy asked the next day as he drove them to school.

"Yes, it was a one day thing, now stop asking," Jay laughed, even though it was suppose to be serious, "It was just easier to be mad yesterday than it was to be hurt or sad and you gave me a reason to be mad, so for that I am thankful."

"You're welcome, I think," Troy said. A silence engulfed the car, "I showed Gabriella my secret spot."

"Did she like it?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, definitely over the mess in the lunch room. And we decided to do the callbacks. Now the school is going to be even more messed up."

"I'll always stand next to you, or at least sitting, standing for a long time is tiring and hurts," Jay said sincerely despite the joke.

"I know," Troy said pulling into a parking spot in the school parking lot.

They got out and walked up to the entrance of the school, "Ready my Prince of Peas?"

"Ready as I'll ever be my dreamer."

"Then let's go," Jay said and they ventured into the halls of East High, "No one is staring yet."

"One good sign."

"Though we both know that signs are deceiving, like K.O. sounds like knock out in a boxing ring, when to us it means to knock off a pass and know where the back is going in a game."

"Not that it actually always happens that way."

"So I was a little slow on the reaction time, there were too many people moving to find the ball."

"Just a little?" Troy mocked her as they walked down the halls.

"I almost had the ball."

"Almost being a key word."

"Shut up," Jay pushed him jokingly.

"And it made you really slow now," Troy joked. He didn't know that he took it too far, crossing a line without even knowing it.

"I can't Believe You SAID THAT!" Jay crescendoed. She went to becoming a mess so quickly, when she tried to hit him there was no avail.

Troy caught her wrists and pulled her close now knowing his mistake, "I'm so sorry Jay. I'm such an idiot. I didn't mean to," He whispered in her ear.

"I can't believe you. You always bring that up and throw it in my face that I can't do anything. That my knee was so screwed up and it won't get better. And it hurts so much sometimes, I can hardly stand it. I don't think I'll ever play again; I'll never run again, I won't be able to do anything like an invalid. And it is so close to the fourteenth and everything hurts," Jay cried as she trying to resist his grip but was failing miserably. He wouldn't let go, the more she resisted the tighter he held on to her.

And they stood there, him keeping her from collapsing to the ground, and she crying her eyes out as the pain of everything came tumbling out. People up and down the hallway were staring. They weren't use to this sight. Their captain jocks were standing in the middle of the hallway crying, well Jay was, Troy wasn't.

"That's Troy's sister isn't it?" Gabriella asked Taylor.

"Jay, yeah she and Troy are closer than kin," Taylor nodded. She'd seen this sight a few times.

"Wait, what?" Gabriella asked confused.

"It's a long story, everyone forgets, but everyone knows that legally they are brother and sister, but they aren't actually blood related."

"You want to started from the beginning, we still have time before class for a long story."

"I'll shorten it but this is how it goes: Troy's mom and Jay's mom were uncommonly close. It was insane some of the stories about them. But they were neighbors and grew up together, best friends. They did everything together: High school, college, first dates with the dates, marrying simultaneously, bought side by side houses and matching cars. They were pregnant together and gave birth not weeks or days apart but hours. I think Jay is about six hours older. So anyways, one night when it was storming really bad, Jay and her parents were coming home from something, Jay could tell you, but her dad lost control of the car and hit the median. Her dad was killed instantly and her mom died on the way to the hospital. Troy's mom was her Godmother as Jay's was Troy's. So she and Troy's dad adopted Jay giving her their name and she and Troy continued to grow up together now in the same house instead of neighboring houses. I think Jay was five, almost six at the time. You can't even tell by watching them that they aren't really related, they just grew up in the roles. I think even they forget sometimes. And now Troy watches over her. She already lost everything so now he won't let her lose anything else. It maybe guilt that his parents are still here while hers aren't. But he isn't going to let anything happens to her. And he's always there, and he feels he has to be. And he is the only one that can help her when she breaks down. She's had a lot of emotional problems, like rain storms, and certain parts of the highway."

"That was long and informative and made complete sense and non at all," Gabriella said.

"That's why it is just easier to think of them as twins, it is too complicated the other way," Taylor said as a bell rang. Taylor and Gabriella and the rest of the school left for class and Troy and Jay stayed in the hallway.

They were there after the tardy bell too. "Jay," Troy said finally. She looked at him but said nothing. "I didn't know you were dealin' with that," He said as he kissed her forehead, "I had no idea." She looked away and wiped away a few remaining tears. "Come on," he picked her up like a child and she wrapper her legs around his waist. He carried her to the doors that led to the gym before setting her down. "Gotta leave you some dignity," he said with a hand on her head. He kept her head into his shoulder and away from the peering students as they walked through the gym to their dad's office. Troy motioned to their dad.

He set her down in a chair. He pulled out a bottle of ibuprofen from their dad's desk and a bottle of water from a cooler Jack kept in his office too. He held both out to Jay and gave her a look that said 'take it'. She hesitated but took the medicine and tipped to pills into her hand before giving it back to Troy and taking the water bottle. She took both the pills and Troy put the medicine back in the desk. He grabbed the elevator key still there from a hook on the wall. "Take it," he offered it to her. She hesitated again, but took it by the ribbon attached to it and wrapped the ribbon a couple times around her wrist.

Jack had observed this all from the door, "You guys going to need a pass to class?" he asked.

"That'd be great dad," Troy looked up at him, "And I think we are going to stop at the nurse's office too to grab the crutches."

"No," Jay finally said something.

"Yes," Troy said looking at her.

"Just fill in a reasonable time," Jack said handing them a slip of paper that had their names on it with his signature.

"Thanks," Troy grabbed in and stuck it in his pocket. He grabbed a paper towel and wetted it with some water from the water bottle. He kneeled down in front of Jay and dabbed it against Jay's cheeks. Over her shoulder he saw their dad leave back to his class. "It takes away the redness," He explained, even though she probably already knew.

"At least I don't wear make up," Jay said with a half smile.

"At least," Troy grinned. He tossed the paper towel in the trash and offered her a hand standing up. She took it and he pulled her up.

"Nurse's office," She said reluctantly.

"Thank you, it may almost kill you, but please just do it for me," Troy said in an almost pleading way.

They walked out through the gym and into the hallway, "These are the days that really feel like a Bolton," Jay said once the door closed behind them.

"You don't always?" Troy asked, curious.

"Not always, especially not since I couldn't play, I feel kinda like and alien," Jay said honestly.

"You shouldn't. I long since stopped thinking of you as an intruder," Troy said.

"You thought I was an intruder?" Jay exclaimed.

"Yeah, when you first moved in. You took away mom and dad's attention from me. I thought you were stealing my parents from me because you lost yours."

"And this stopped when?"

"Fourth grade when we transferred to public school with Chad and Gracie and all them. First day of school and we were both so scared. Before we entered school I wanted to be brave for you so I took your hand and squeezed and said 'you'll always have me Jay' and we walked in like that. All the guys thought I had cooties from you. And we had the whole 'like' and 'like, like' system. And I told all the guys that I was your brother and I finally really meant it when I said it that time."

"I remember that, the girls asked me the same thing, but I didn't really mean it when I said I was your sister, I didn't for a long time."

"So when did you finally mean it?" Troy asked as they reached the nurse's office. He grabbed the crutches and nodded at the nurse. She nodded to and then they were out in the hallway again.

"It wasn't really a mean it as to when I knew it," Jay started to explain. "You remember the end of the year bash Chad had when we were twelve?" Troy nodded, "And you remember when Sharpay dared you to kiss me?"

"Yeah I remember that," Troy said recalling the memory, "I was so mad at Sharpay, never really let her live it down."

"And as I was say, I was getting to my reasoning."

"Oh, yeah, sorry, go on."

"First you were totally against it saying it was gross and weird and awkward. And then they gave you the option of doing that or running around the block buff naked and your really considered the offer. I still can't believe you considered that to this day."

"I can, nothing ever concerning you is ever taken lightly."

"And I finally told you to just kiss me even though I was really scared, I trusted you. And then you became this really sweet guy, you remember?"

"Yeah, of course I do. I told you to close your eyes. I knew that it would be your first kiss," Troy said, "And obviously not mine."

"And you were nice and sweet and asked me if I was ok a million times afterwards. It wasn't like I was going to die from kissing you."

"It wasn't how I planned your first kiss, it should have been special with a dozen roses. And after a fifth date with a guy you really liked and a guy I didn't mind so I wouldn't feel like beating him up later for it. And it would be on our doorstep with me watching through my window and mom and dad through the living room one. And you would walk in and mom would be so happy and dad would wand to beat up the kid until I told him to shut up. And we'd go to the kitchen and eat ice cream sundaes."

"You are such a liar."

"Ok, so a little but was made up on the spot, but the whole guy you like and that I wouldn't mind and the ice cream sundae part were true."

"Ok, so what up with the ice cream sundaes?"

"I had one after my first kiss, so I thought you should have one too after yours," Troy said as they reached their homeroom door. "Just let me fill in a time," He took out a pen and the pass from Jack and wrote in a reasonable time. He opened the door for her and they walked in, interrupting Darbus. "Sorry we're late, we had some, um," Troy stuttered as he handed her the pass.

"Issues," Jay supplied sitting in her seat.

Darbus took the pass but paid no attention to them and went on talking.

--------------

**AN: There it is. The next chapter. Now what I would really love would be some reviews. I love hearing from people of what they think. And Saturday I am leaving for three weeks and won't be updating. I was hoping to finish the story before then, but I don't see that happening, so I will when I return.**


	7. Chad's always the Problem

**AN: Ok, 5 am on jet lag back from my 3 week trip and I have been up for over forty close to maybe 45 or 48 hours straight, but I can't fall asleep because I am not sleepy. Fiji will do that to you I guess, or maybe it was New Zealand or Australia, I don't know. I am hungry though; maybe I'll grab some food. Whatever, back to updates now that I am in the country. I still get that moving airplane feeling every once in a while.**

Chapter 7

"Come on," Troy grabbed Jay away from Gracie and dragged her along. Jay stumbled along after him.

"If you want me to keep up and not kill me then you better slow down or carry me," Jay complained. Troy picked her up and carried her up to his secret spot. He set her down once at the top of the stairs. "What's up Capt?"

"I think I screwed up somehow," He said.

"How and with what? I know that this is surprising but I can't read your mind."

"Gabriella, she's mad at me. She won't talk to me, and I don't have a clue as to why."

"You said something wrong most likely. You really should watch your mouth sometimes."

"Not helping Jay!" He said loudly.

"Ok if you are going to yell at me when I don't know anything, then I am leaving," Jay said standing up.

"Don't leave, please," he said desperate, "I'm frustrated and mad and upset and you're here and an easy target, I'm sorry."

"Easy target?" made her more upset.

"It is easy to be mad at you cause I know that you'll always be my sister and friend and we always work stuff out or just yell at each other getting everything out and then forgetting about it. I know that you always care even when I screw up. It makes it easier to be mad at someone when you know that they will always love you than at someone who's feelings are more fickle."

"Forgiven. But stay here and cool down and I am still leaving. I just might be mad for an hour, but then we are fine. I'm am going to find someone to yell at, probably Chad and get to the bottom of your problem with Gabriella, but I am going to do it angry," Jay said and walked back down. Troy felt like he was ready to go punch something, but he wouldn't. Maybe he should take Jay's lead and just be mad.

Jay opened the door to the cafeteria and let it slam behind her. The room went silent. She marched up to Chad and grabbed her by the collar and marched back out, "We need to talk."

"What did I do?" Chad asked, frightened. He knew better that to mess with an angry Bolton, he had the scars to prove it.

"Why don't you tell me? What did you do that sent my brother into a weird, depressed headspace? Wait, you know what, you don't even have to tell me. Just fix it or you will never reproduce. You have until the end of the day before I castrate you," Jay yelled before walking away from a pale Chad. She didn't know if he actually what was up, but he looked guilty as she walked away so she guessed he did.

She threw herself into the bench in front of the piano in the auditorium and started to play a low, angry, and nameless tune. It was fast and low and full of accidentals, though she didn't really have a key anyways so it didn't matter. But it sounded mad and that is all she wanted.

"Sounds angry," someone said from behind her. It was Ryan. Just what she needed. He was seated next to her facing the opposite direction.

"Look out East High we have a genius among us," she said sarcastically as she continued to play.

"Needs words."

She stopped playing and looked at him, "Just shut up and go away, I am in a bad mood. I'm not going to sit here and make small talk with you. I want to sit here and be mad for a while. Ok, got it, understand?"

"Ok, sorry, I just liked the rhythm," he said standing up and walking away.

"You liked that?" She asked to his back, surprised.

"Yeah," he said turning back to look at her.

"I was just letting off steam."

"You should do it more often, beautiful things come from it when you do," He said before leaving.

Jay looked at the door a long time after he left and it closed. "He's insane," she said aloud and it echoed. She started to play again with a more lighter, but still unhappy and slightly melancholy tune.

-------------

"You get yourself all sorted out?" Jay asked that afternoon as they climbed into their car.

"Yeah, how did you know it was Chad that caused my problems?" He asked as they fastened their seat belts and he started the engine.

"I didn't, but he can usually get to the bottom of things, and he looked guilty after I yelled at him so I didn't feel so bad."

"Well he did it. You know how I told you about the guys and the locker rooms and how hindsight doesn't like everything I said."

"Yeah," She looked at him not connecting the dots yet.

"Gabriella saw it all over web cam."

"They didn't!" Jay yelled causing Troy to jump and swerve the car. "I am killing Chad!"

"Not until after the championships," Troy said, "And you tell me how to fix this with Gabriella."

"Do something really sweet."

"Way to state the obvious."

"Sing to her. It connected you in Colorado; maybe it could work some magic here too. Find out her address and sing her the song from New Year's Eve. You just have to put yourself out there a little bit."

"Have I told you lately that you are awesome?"

"Maybe, but I love to hear it," Jay said and they both laughed, "And do it quick, you still to practice the song if you want any chance of not making a fool of yourself at callbacks versus Sharpay and Ryan."

"I know, we need to practice," Troy said, "And that reminds me. Tomorrow morning, get up early, like 5:30 early. The janitors open school at 6:30 about. I figured we'd go to the gym and see what you can do and how your knee feels."

"Fine, but you have to wake me, and politely I might add, I don't want to change my alarm."

"Deal," Troy said pulling into the driveway.

They got out and walked up the front walk. Their mother came bursting through the door, "You are here! I need your help, am so sorry my darlings, but it would help me out so much if you could run some errands for me," She said. She went drabbling on about a convention for her company. She started to pull out endless amounts of lists containing everything she needed. She was a hysteric mess.

"Mom, just calm down, we can do it. Tell us what you need," Troy tried to calm down their frenzied mother.

"This stuff," She handed them a pile of lists, "I just got a call about our CEO coming, and other important people bringing another fifty people and heads of departments, you two are my lifesavers. I love you guys, take my credit card, and get yourselves dinner. I swear I will make it up to you once this all ends, I promise, just until Friday."

"We'll get it mom, we know it is important to you. Go back to work and we will get everything on the list," Jay ushered her back into the house before hopping back in to the car with Troy. "That was interesting, so where to?"

"Make a comprehensive list and I say we start at an office store," Troy pulled out of the driveway and snaked his way around the neighborhood.

"How fun," Jay grumbled sarcastically as she worked, "I hope we have enough room for everything in here, it could get cramped," She said as she wrote, "And where the heck are we suppose to get an old-fashioned, antique record player?"

"I have no idea," Troy said as he pulled up to a stoplight.

"We should have grabbed a phone book," Jay mumbled.

"Put Chad on it, on my orders. He owes me. Have him call us if he finds a place," Troy said taking a left.

"What a good idea, you are smarter than you look," Jay dug out her phone and dialed the number, "Chad!"

"You sound excited to talk to me," He answered, no bothering with a hello.

"Our mom was freaking out so now Troy and I are on a mission to get all sorts of items. And we need an old-fashioned, antique record player, and we are putting you on the mission to find it and then call us about it. And this is all on Troy's orders. Got it? You locate, we get, thanks bye!"

"Woah, woah, woah, wait up, why?"

"We are just getting the stuff from the lists and it is on there so now you have to find it," Jay said hanging up.

"Way to handle that," Troy laughed. He pulled into a parking lot and found a space. They got out of the car and Troy locked it.

"So we need one-inch binders, notebooks, flash-drives – whatever that it – highlighters, pens, pencils, sticky notes, printer paper, ink cartridges, scissors, sounds almost like school supplies," Jay looked over her master list.

"I think the flash drive means those little computer chips that are a couple inches long and you plug them into computers and can put files on them and take the files to other computers that way," Troy said grabbing a cart, "Lets get to it."

Forty minutes later they were walking out of the store. They stashed the bags in the trunks and traveled to a crafts store. "I feel so out of place here," Troy said as they entered. He still had on his practice jersey with his warm up pants. Jay looked at him and laughed, "Ok, so where is the sewing stuff."

"Oh, yeah, like I would know where it is," Jay said, "And I am the one limping with a brace on my leg and in the same outfit as you."

"I thought you would be use to the limp and brace by now."

"I am, but I just thought I would point it out."

Troy laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and giving them a squeeze as they wondered the store, "You are one of a kind, you know that?"

"Too close for comfort," Jay slipped out of his grip, "But I know, and so are you."

"Which may be why we fit together so perfectly," Troy said as they found the right section and started to find items needed.

Over three hours and seven stores later, they had almost everything, except that danged record player, Chad never called them back. Irritated, Troy punched in Chad's number to his phone and hit the call button, "You found it yet dude?"

"What the record player?" Chad asked confused.

"Yes, the record player."

"Yeah, my mom had one in our basement she got from her great aunt or something. We took it to your house; your mom said she would call you. I am guessing that she didn't."

"Oh, no she didn't, sorry," Troy said, looking at the ground.

"It's all good man," Chad said.

"Ok, gotta go, see ya tomorrow dude," Troy hung up, "He found one and took it to our house, where our mother never called to tell us like she was suppose to."

"These are times when she is your mom and not mine anymore," Jay laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, dinner? I am starving," Troy said as they climbed in the car.

"That makes two of us," Jay said as he started the engine.

"Where to my dreamer?" Troy said pulling out of the parking spot, "I can hardly see out the back of the car, we have so much stuff."

"How about to Grandma Rose?" Jay laughed at his difficulty.

"Perfect, good, fast, home-style dinner," Troy agreed. Grandma Rose was an old diner; an old couple founded it and was now being run by the children and grandchildren. Troy parked down the street from the diner, there was never any parking close by unless you were lucky. It was a fairly busy place. The two teens realized how late it was when the street lamps flicked on. "Maybe we should call mom and dad," Troy suggested.

"Yeah," Jay nodded. As she did, Troy looked over and saw some shifty looking guys across the street. He didn't like it, something looked wrong with them. And he always felt like he had to protect Jay. He took Jay's hand and pulled her closer and enlaced his fingers with hers. "Mailbox," He said lowly as she looked at him.

Her eyes flitted around the street before landing on a bunch of shady guys all by a mailbox. She nodded ever so slightly as they walked by and entered the diner. Troy held the door open for her. They took a seat. Linda, a granddaughter of Grandma Rose, came up to them. Linda went to East High and she smiled at them. "Hey Linda," Jay smiled politely at her. She liked Linda. Troy just nodded as he seemed to send weird vibes at her. Maybe he didn't like her; Jay would probably never know what was going on in his head.

"What can I get you to drink?" Linda asked.

"Coke for both of us," Jay said.

"I'll be right back," Linda said before disappearing.

"I need to wash my hand, I feel so dirty," Jay said standing up.

"Oh yeah, me too, me too," Troy nodded in agreement. They traveled back to the restrooms to wash their hands. It was something they almost always had to do after having an awkward, not that you could tell, weird moment of a more intimate touch like holding hands. It was something done for protection, but made them both feel like they were doing something really bad and dirty.

After meeting back up at the table, Jay said, "Why are you so callous towards Linda, she really nice."

"You know in Colorado when you talked about making me your da-" He stopped as Linda came back over with their drinks. They ordered food before Troy continued, "Dating idol with a million first dates that were more like one night stands only without doing anything?'

"Yes I do," Jay recalled.

"She was one of those millions of first dates that didn't go anywhere."

"Really?" Jay held in a laugh.

"Yes, now shut up, she's coming," Troy said. Linda brought over their food and Jay tried to control her laughter.

----------

**AN: Ok, there it is, the next chapter. I hope to have the next one up in the next day or so. I am going out of town this weekend for the fourth of July, but it is a one-night thing and I still maybe able to get something up, but there is a good possibility that I won't. Please leave me a reviewing telling me what you liked or disliked. I still like to hear from you even if you absolutely hated it. And I know this is sort of a filler chapter so there wasn't much there.**


	8. More Issues

**AN: And I am going to keep going on jet lag. Whoopee! Ok, now I am really hungry, let see where I get before I give in to temptation.**

Chapter 8

"Oh Dreamer, it is time to get up," A sing-song voice said the next morning and Jay tried to ignore it.

"No," She mumbled.

"Yes, we are seeing how your knee is and what it can do," the voice said.

"Nothing."

"Something, now up before I turn more evil," The voice said forcefully and pulled the covers off her.

She peeked an eye open to see Troy standing above her in his boxers, "Get some clothes on before you come in here," she said, covering her eyes with her pillow.

"I'll be back in five minutes with water," Troy said after a morning laugh and he walked out.

Jay grumbled and got out of bed. She grabbed her robe and stumbled her way to the shower. Once at the table for breakfast she asked, "Did you ever go talk to Gabriella last night?"

"Yeah, we're good, but now I have even more practice to do," Troy said, but was smiling.

"I'll always cover for you," Jay said.

"I know you will, 'bout ready?" Troy asked, getting up from the table.

"Hold your horses, I am almost done," Jay said taking on last bite of her breakfast. She put her dishes in the sink and grabbed two apples from the basket on the counter, "Let's go."

They grabbed their bags and an extra set of clothes for after the morning 'practice' to change in to for the school day. They went out to the care, "This is amazing, there is almost no one on the roads, or at least the ones we take," Troy noticed as he sped along.

"Gee, really genius, it's too early," Jay said.

Troy laughed, "Shouldn't you be excited?"

"Oh, I'm dancing on the inside."

"Add so sarcastic to you breakfast this morning?"

"Just a dab with a shot of cranky."

"I can tell," Troy said pulling into the parking lot, "And we get the best parking spot."

"It looks like it is going to storm," Jay said melancholy, looking at the dark skies.

"I didn't get a chance to watch the weather this morning, but I will find you no matter what," Troy said, "Now come on," He helped her inside. They sat their bags on the lowest bleacher and put on their basketball shoes. "Ok, first thing is to stretch so you don't pull anything."

"I am going to be so inflexible."

"Whatever, on your butt, legs straight out together," Troy said. Jay did as she was told and reached out to her toes as Troy pushed gently on her lower back. They ran through a spiel of stretches and were then ready about ten minutes later. "Ok, so let's just warm up very slowly, start with just a basic walk around the gym."

"Walking, a warm up, who would have thought?" Jay joked. She would listen to him no matter what nor no matter how much she disagreed with him. She stood up next to him and started to walk. "We need music, it is way too silent in here."

"Doesn't dad have a radio in his office?"

"Shelf above the cooler," Jay said automatically.

"Let our walk take us there then," Troy said. One problem with their plan, the door was locked, "Where the heck is the spare key?"

"You remember that old rhyme we used to remember it by? What was it? Tick-tock, tick-tock goes the clock. If the door is locked, look by the clock, tick-tock, tick-tock."

The spare key was on top of the clock across from the door. Troy fetched it down and unlocked the door. He grabbed the radio and relocked the door, and lastly replaced the key to its spot. They walked back to the gym and turned on the radio, setting it by their bags. The sound waves bounced off the walls, "How is the knee?" Troy asked after a few minutes.

"Like every other time I walk."

"No need to be rude. I'm just wanting to help you, but I can walk out anytime I want," Troy warned.

"My knee is fine," Jay tried again.

"Ok, so jogging is next, but slow, as slow as we are walking. Just pick up your heels and knees and stay on your toes. If or when your heel hits, it will create stress on your knee and will most likely hurt. It will work your calves and shins. So tell me if they start to cramp or hurt. I am going to set the pace, stay with me," Troy picked up his knees and heels to be jogging, but no going any faster that Jay was walking. She just looked at him. "Start anytime you want, Jay."

"Yeah, sorry," Jay said and did the same, starting to jog the very, very slow jog.

"It hurt any? Remember to stay on your toes."

"Not anymore than normal."

"Did you take anything this morning for pain?"

"For pain? Nope, nothing, just like usual."

"You are so stubborn."

"Are we going to go any faster than this today?"

"Yes, step it up just a little, stay with me at my pace," Troy said speeding up just a little, so at least a normal walking person wouldn't pass them. After about twenty minutes of getting gradually faster to an almost normal jogging speed and then back down to walking, "Just remember to stay on your toes if nothing else please."

"Yes sir!" Jay mockingly saluted him. They stopped at their bags to grab a short water break. They each took out identical water bottles and chugged about a third of it. "Ok, so what next captain?" Jay said setting down her water bottle.

"Jumping," Troy said, "Also on your toes, landing on your heels could create even more stress on your knees and up to your back than just running or jogging."

"I'll be a ballerina," Jay laughed; Troy gave her a pointed look. "Loosen up bro, I am not going to break – physically that is."

"Yeah, I know," Troy rolled his eyes. He led her out to the three-point arc, "I want you hands on my shoulders when you jump, mine will be at your waist just to make sure you don't fall or collapse. I just want you to jump like for a shot."

"Just jump?"

"It ain't called a jump shot for nothing."

"Can I at least pretend I am shooting then with the hand motions and all."

"On the fifth one, see how it feels first, it could be more stressful than the running."

"Ok, fine," She rested her hands on his shoulders and he grasped her hips, "So just jump?"

"Count to 3, so we are both ready."

"Ok, ready?" And Troy nodded, "One."

"Two," He counted.

"Three," They said together. She jumped and crumpled into him once she came down.

"That was harder than I thought," She said.

"Told you so," Troy said.

"Shut up."

"Again?"

"Yeah, 1, 2, 3," She jumped and made more of a point of landing on her toes. It didn't hurt as much this time.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah, just really got to land on those toes."

"Again, I told you so."

"Again, shut up."

Ten minutes before school started, they had finished, showered, and changed in their respective locker rooms. "I am going to find Gabriella, you going to be ok?"

"Yeah, I'll find the boys or Gracie and Ellie," Jay nodded.

"You did good today Dreamer," He said to her in the hallway

"Thanks," She said. He squeezed her shoulder and left. She saw Chad, Jason, and Zeke down the hallway. As she neared them, she bumped into someone and went flying into Zeke. Jason was right there and caught her; Zeke went crashing to the floor. "Thanks Jason," She said smiling at him. She had always had a special bond with Jason that she just couldn't explain. She held on to him for support as Chad helped Zeke up.

"Yeah, thanks a lot man," Zeke griped as he dusted himself off.

"Sorry, but you know that Troy would have my butt if I didn't catch her. Everyone knows that," Jason reasoned.

"You can't argue with that," Chad said, trying not to laugh as Zeke continued to mumble under his breath. "Jay, did you do something flirty? You have that sort of look on your face."

"No, it is physical training, I think Troy called it. He and I did it think morning in the gym to see how my knee is. Lots of jogging and jumping, no cutting or lay ups or any actual shooting."

"Ok, you just had that look you had whenever you came back from making out with what's his name, Davey, Daley, Danny, whatever," Chad said.

"No worries. Troy and I didn't make out that is far too gross and weird. We just got hot and sweating together."

"That sounded so wrong, I feel gross just standing by you," Jason said as he moved out of her grip. What he didn't know was that she had really been leaning on him and wasn't expecting this. She also had twinged her knee with pain as she bumped into that person early. It was already too late and Jason moved away from her and she tumbled towards Chad, who caught her.

"Jay, Jay, are you ok?" He looked down at her.

"No," She said in a pained voice, "I think something happened when I hit that person earlier."

"Zeke, get the crutches from the nurse, Jason, find Troy," Chad ordered. The two boys left and Chad continued to himself, "Chad don't let anything happen to Jay so Troy doesn't kill you. Ok, Jay," He said louder and to her. "How about we try and get to that bench right over there." He pointed to one across the hallway. "You want to try and walk or just have me carry you?"

"Um..." Jay looked at the bench; it didn't look too far away, "I think, we will walk."

"Ok," Chad put an arm around waist and took her opposite hand as she wrapped her nearest arm around his shoulders. They slowly and painfully made their way to the bench. Zeke showed up just as Chad was lowering her onto the bench. Zeke leaned the crutches against the back of the bench as Chad kneeled down in front of her, "where does it hurt Jay?"

"My knee," Jay said idiotically.

"Front back, left, right, middle?" Chad said surprisingly patient.

"Middle, very middle," Jay said thinking.

"Ok," Chad loosened her brace and slid it down her leg and off over her foot. He felt on her knee, "Like here?"

"Up, and more to the right," Jay directed.

"Here?" Chad asked finding the spot, and jay winced in pain. Chad rubbed his thumb the spot to try and feel what as happening on the inside of her knee. He couldn't find any tear besides the one slightly left from the previous fall.

Troy came sprinting down the hall. Zeke grabbed Chad out of the way and told Troy what happened. Troy slid into Chad's now empty spot. Jason was a few feet behind him. Jason sat next Jay and took her hand and let her squeeze it as pain came and went. Chad showed Troy the place on Jay's knee where it hurt and that he couldn't find much more wrong other than that her old tear that had healed almost all the way was just a bit bigger now, some of the muscle that was only thinly remade came apart. "Ok, you took care of everything Chad, um thank you I think." Troy didn't know what else to do in that moment as Chad had already done what he had planned to do.

"I just thought I was suppose to," Chad said.

"You were, I guess. Ok, just up Jay, and the brace," Troy said. He pulled the brace back onto her leg and then up to the proper place. He tightened it and stood up. He grabbed the crutches and handed one to Zeke and the other to Jason, who now stood on either side of her. "You know the plan by now Jay?"

"Yes, count of three ok?" Jay said. She crossed wrists and grabbed on to Troy's wrists.

"Ok, one," He said.

"Two," She said.

"Three," They said together and he pulled her up and she fell into him.

"Ow, why can't you be weak, your chest hurts," Jay complained and took her crutches from the boy on each side of her.

"Then I can't carry you or pull you up or any of the other things that I do for you."

"You make is sound like your life sucks."

"It doesn't, at least nothing concerning the part you are in," Troy said and the four boys and Jay made their way to homeroom after a bell rang.

--------------

"You hear that?" Troy asked Chad that day during free period. They were in the locker room changing for the free period workout.

"What'd you hear?" Chad asked.

And then they both heard it, "Thunder!" They scrambled out of the locker room, forgetting about what they were doing. They raced down the hallways, missing some of the looks people gave them as they passed, searching for one person. They finally found that person curled up in a ball in the math hallway. "Jay," they said together.

They slid in beside her. Chad clapped his hands over hers, over her ears and Troy wrapped himself around her in a secure, warm embrace. Troy wiped off her tears on her cheeks. A burst of thunder sounded and she jumped, hitting her head on Troy's chin.

It broke a dam of tears, "Shh, Jay, it's going to be ok," Troy whispered whether she could hear him or not. Gracie walked by and saw the sight. She sat down in front of Jay and rested her elbows on Jay's knees and wiped away tears free falling down Jay's face. "Thanks Grace." Troy whispered to her. Rain was slapping the roof of the school. They needed to go somewhere quieter.

"The locker room is quieter," Chad said lowly to Troy.

"Yeah, but how, she's been on crutches all day," Troy muttered. He felt her painfully squeeze his shoulder as another round of thunder sounded.

"Carry her, I'll carry the crutches, Gracie clears a gap," Chad said obviously. Gracie nodded and stood up. Chad stood up too and grabbed the crutches. Troy stood up, picking up Jay up with him. He had an arm under her back and the other under her legs, but being careful of her knee. The arm he had under her back snaked up and pressed her head against his chest, covering one ear with his body and the other with his hand. They set off quickly for the locker room. She jumped at a rack of thunder and nearly fell out of Troy's arms. He had to stop for a second to get a better grip on her again before the little parade resumed walking again. It was at this point Chad noticed something, "Dude, we were changing," Chad said in an almost laugh.

Troy looked down and noticed his shirt, or lack of one and Chad's attire. Chad on an orange polo shirt he had worn to school and his red basketball shorts. "We are so talented," he said sarcastically, "A strike of thunder and we forget everything that we are doing, including a mismatch or lack of clothing. Gracie was laughing at them as she pulled open the door to the gym. She pulled open the boy's locker room door and then bid them adieu, she wouldn't be going in there. Troy set Jay down on a bench sideways and facing the end of the locker row, then he went to pulling on a shirt.

"So much for working out," Chad said, pulling on his jeans.

"It is almost pathetic how much I'd sacrifice for Jay," He said, straddling the bench behind her and covering her ears.

"A little bit, but you are suppose to, now me, even more," Chad sat down in front of her. He wiped away her tears and squeezed her hands. He later regretted this almost as she nearly crushed his fingers with every clap of thunder.

A bell went off and the boys stood up, "Leave the crutches with my dad, I have her," Troy told Chad, who had picked up the crutches. Troy kept her head pressed to his shoulder covering her other ear with his hand. The three of them walked out of the locker room and gym toward class. Chad broke away from them to go to his class as Troy and Jay reached the door to their class. They stood outside the door, even after the bell rang, "It's ok Jay, it is ok," Troy whispered. He brushed away the tears before looking her in the eye, "You are going to be ok Jay, as long as I am here. Nothing is happening to you, I'll make sure of it. Nothing is ever going to happen to you with me, I refuse to let anything happen to you or let you lose one more person or anything at all. It is all ending with me, ok?"

"Ok," she whispered. He squeezed her hand before opening the door and holding it open for her. She walked in with Troy close behind her and they took their seats quickly.

"How nice of you to join us Boltons," said the particularly mean and callous Chemistry teacher, Mr. Fisher, who was new to the school this year.

"Sorry, we ran into a few issues," Troy said. He took Jay's hand under the science table they shared as a clatter of thunder rang out.

"We can work out these 'issues' tonight in detention then," Mr. Fisher said.

"You can give me detention all you want, I don't care, but you can't give Jay detention," Troy said.

"Really, says who?"

"The doctors and the doctors note in the nurse's office, you have to accept her into class no matter what with out punishment due to her knee," Troy decided not to pull out the big guns now, or at least not yet, she had more than one doctor's note in the nurse's office for more than just her knee.

"I can when I see the both of you standing outside my door after the bell rings."

"I wanted to leave her some kind of dignity or pride or something of walking in here without a tear-stained face."

"Then you should of have said something to me."

"Well I am sorry for being a little more concerned about my sister than with being on time to class. I couldn't exactly divert my attention away from her to tell you something."

"It would have taken five seconds."

"And in those five seconds thunder could occur and things could go wrong and something could happen to her."

"If this is all about thunder, then we can work over this childish fear in detention too," Fisher said, he was a bit of a control freak.

"Now you've done it," Troy said as Jay raced out of the room as fast as she could on her knee. Troy stood up to go after her.

"Sit down Mr. Bolton! She will come back sometime," Fisher said loudly. Troy was ready to protest when Jason and Gracie stood up and walked out of the room, "And where do you think you are going Mr. Cross and Miss Fletcher?"

"If Troy is not going, then I am, and I think that I am also speaking for Gracie when I say this," Jason said and the two players left the room to find Jay.

"You have a detention!" Fisher yelled after them, he was losing control of his class, and he didn't like it.

"That is it," Troy said, "I'll be in the office I don't care, expect to see my dad soon," Troy pulled out his phone and called his dad as he gathered up his stuff, Jay's, Jason's and Gracie's. He stashed them in his locker as he talked to his dad, "Hey Dad, sorry to bother you, I am on my way to the office. Fisher pushed Jay probably to a break, I hope you are ready for a night in the hospital. Jason and Gracie left to find Jay when I was stuck in class. We all have detention: Jay and I for being late and Jason and Gracie for leaving class to find Jay after she bolted. And no one has any clue as to where she is except her and maybe Jason or Gracie."

Troy reached the office and hung up after listening to his dad for just a second. He stuffed his phone in his pocket before he sat in one of the chairs. The secretaries looked at him oddly, East High's golden boy in the office?

Mr. Bolton and Mr. Fisher came into the office a few minutes later and walked into the principal's office. "So now it is Fisher Jack?" Matsui said.

"I'm here as a parent now, not a teacher or coach," Jack said.

"He's seeking special attention for his kids!" Fisher said.

"My daughter is missing unless Jason or Gracie has hopefully found her, and could be in the middle of a psychotic break you forced her into!"

"Put her in an institute or pop her up on happy pills then."

"Jake (Fisher) that is out of line. Now start back at the beginning," Matsui cut in before Jack could say anything more.

"Both Boltons are outside my door when the bell rings so when they come in I give them detention. Troy argues with me, Jay ran out and now I'm in here because Troy calls daddy seeking special attention," Jake said.

"He was looking after his sister like he is suppose to. And you can't give Jay detention. She can be late to class," Jack said.

"She was standing outside the door, it had nothing to do with her knee."

"Her knee doesn't matter, she can still be late to class. We have a large confidential file in the basement with all the details of my daughter's emotional instability. Every therapist, every doctor, every medicine, every break down – with details – every time we've had to pull her out of school, every time she's been in the hospital is listed on it. It is all there in black and white and all contributing to why you have to let her into class."

"If it is such a large file then why is she still here in school? You are obviously doing something wrong."

"Kathleen and I are doing the best we can. You weren't there waking up with her nightmares three or four times a week. You didn't have to leave work to pull her out of school when she broke down at school and there was nothing more Troy or anyone else could do. You haven't stayed up all night at the hospital with her like we have and will probably be doing tonight. You don't plan everything around the weather and watching it everyday to know if there would be problems. We had to lock down the freaking school her freshman year when she had a break and Troy was home sick. She was missing for three hours and my wife left an important meeting to drag Troy out of bed and to school to help find her even though he had a 103-degree temperature. We let school out early for her once she was found in a janitor's closet and knocked out by a bottle of soap. This school has seen everything and knows everything. Days like these everyone one is on pins and needles for her!"

"That is enough Jack," Matsui cut in. "Jake, Jack has a point. Jay is unable to get detention for regaining composure after an emotional meltdown. And it is seen and written in the file that Troy is the best help able to be given to her. She as long term doctor's note in the nurse's office from her first day freshman year to the day she graduates for her emotional instability."

"You are just siding with them because the championships are next week and all you care about is basketball. She can't even play in the stupid games!" Fisher said loudly.

"Yes she will, she and Troy are working on it, she'll play," Jack said.

"Both of you!" Matsui called their attention, "The bell is going to rind in about ten minutes, you both just wasted one class, I suggest you lay it to rest and go teach your next class. Jay and Troy are both excused from detention."

"And Jason Cross and Gracie Fletcher," Jack said, "Both of them and their parents have done it all with us."

"Them too," Matsui sighed.

Jack was satisfied and walked out of the office, "Come on Troy," he said as he passed by his son. Troy looked up and got up and followed his dad out of the door, "I am not doing this again, but go find your sister," Jack said before leaving for the gym.

Troy tried to think of where Jay would run. He didn't really know, so he pulled out his phone and called Jason, "Dude where are you?"

"West wing, right before the art hall."

"She ok?" Troy asked as he turned around to go the right way towards the art hallway and then sped to get there.

"Yeah, sort of, the storm stopped, so it helped."

"I am right around the corner," Troy hung up the phone and slipped it in his pocket as he turned the corner. Jay was sandwiched between Jason and Gracie, huddled against the wall, Jason was putting his phone away. "Hey babe," Troy sat down in front of her. Her knees were bent and in the air. Troy hooked a knee around her feet with his leg in the gap between her feet and body. He rested his hands on her knees as he looked her in the eyes.

"Hey," she said so softly, they could barely hear her.

"What can I do to cheer you up?" Troy asked and Jay just shrugged, "Gee that helped a lot." Jay just looked at him. "Ok, I have an idea, I'll be right back," Troy got up and left. Jay stared at the place on the ground he had just occupied. Jason and Gracie sat next to her, trying hopelessly to comfort her. Troy returned with his guitar that had still yet to make it home. He sat in front of her again in his previous position. Jason looked at him quizzically, Gracie already knew. Troy tuned the instrument quickly and then started to play a song he knew she immediately recognized. It was from her favorite movie. Troy looked at Jason before starting to sing

"_Come my love, I'll tell you a tale  
of a boy and girl, and their love story,  
and how he loved her oh, so much,  
and all the charms she did possess. _

_My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.  
My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel;  
it's as real as the feelings I feel. _

_Now this did happen once upon a time  
When things were not so complex,  
And how he worshipped the ground she walked.  
When he looked in her eyes, he became obsessed. _

_My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.  
My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel;  
it's as real as the feelings I feel. _

_This love was stronger than the powers so dark,  
A prince could have within his keeping;  
His spells to weave and steal a heart  
Within her breast, but only sleeping._

_My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.  
My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel;  
it's as real as the feelings I feel. _

_He said, "Don't you know I love you oh, so much,  
And lay my heart at the foot of your dress?"  
She said, "Don't you know that storybook loves  
Always have a happy ending?"  
Then he swooped her up, just like in the books,  
And on his stallion they rode away. _

_My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.  
My love is like a storybook story.  
But it's as real as the feelings I feel;  
it's as real as the feelings I feel. _"

Sometime in the middle of it Jay started to hum along. After Troy plucked the last few notes he asked, "Did it work?"

"Yes," Jay said with a small smile.

"Good," Troy grinned, glad to see his sister happy again.

"Dude, where'd you learn that?" Jason asked surprised.

"Long story, come on the bell is going to ring," Troy said standing up. He offered a hand up, which she took. He wrapped her up in a one-arm hug due to the guitar he was still holding in his other hand, "So you ok?"

"Yeah," She said and he kissed her forehead, "So where is all of our stuff, please don't tell me in Fisher's classroom."

"I won't, it is in my locker," He said and they started to walk, "You two comin' I got your stuff too."

"What? Yeah," Jason said as he and Gracie scrambled up to step with them.

"Are you ok Jason?" Jay asked

"Yeah, just in a little shock. I really didn't know dude."

"Nor does anyone else," Troy said, slightly blushing.

"And I'm sorry for not supporting you in the beginning."

"It's all good dude," Troy said as the bell rang.

--------------

**AN: And that is it. So I completed this after sleeping for almost eighteen hours to try and get off jet lag, but it is still seven am. But that is better than the all nighter I had last night before sleeping all day and most of the night. I still got up at four am. But anyways, I finished and will go start the next chapter. Please leave me a review telling me what you think, I love hearing it.**


	9. Championships

**AN: Ok, this is the last real chapter before the epilogue, sad I know. But when I was on my trip for three weeks, I did three weeks of writing a sequel in a notebook. So there will always be more I think for Jay and Troy.**

Chapter 9

"What's going on?" Jay asked walking into the school one day and there was an abnormally large group in front of the notice board that included her brother and some teammates with a few others. She had been talking to Gracie outside as Troy had wondered into the school with Chad and others. Now they were all huddled around the notice board with unhappy looks on their faces.

"That," Jason pointed to the notice board. Jay looked at and gasped, she had to lean on Jason after stumbling and losing her balance.

"Ok, what are we going to do, we can't just let this happen," Jay said.

"Yeah, we have to do something," Chad agreed after Kelsi, who Jay knew from a class and Troy with the musical, explained that the Evans twins did it.

"No, we are not seeking to their level, we are the good guys," Troy said.

"How cliché," Jay muttered.

"Be quiet Jay, now are you with me or not my dreamer, I can always use your help," Troy sent a pointed look her way.

"I am always with you," Jay said, resisting rolling her eyes.

"That is what I thought," Troy said, "Now we all have to work together for this to work."

"So this means you have a plan like always?" Jay asked the question everyone was thinking in his or her head.

"I always have the plan, now who is with me?" Troy put his hand in the middle of the circle like a basketball huddle. Everyone stuck a hand into the middle too, "Ok, here is the plan..."

----------------

Friday, the day of everything, Jay walked down the hallway in the morning. Troy was talking to Chad and Zeke not to far from her. He sent a wink at her and she rolled her eyes. "Chem," He mouthed and she nodded and remembered her first part of the plan. She had to distract whatever teacher was in the science room where they kept all the chemicals so Gabriella and Taylor could grab some to add to the beaker later in the day. The easiest time was before homeroom when Mrs. Mackey was in the room. She was easy to distract.

Taylor and Gabriella were in the room when Jay walked in. She remembered her brother and winked at them, hoping they would get it. Jay went up to Mrs. Mackey and asked her about drawing hydrocarbons. The teacher went off telling her about all the rules and showing her different examples on the board, turning her back to the classroom. Jay stopped her after alkenes once she saw Taylor and Gabriella had finished. She said she needed to start heading to class and put on an extra limp to her walk as she exited the classroom.

Everything was set up for the end of the day, the big finale, Jay was antsy and she had barely anything left to do. It was all up to the clockwork of Taylor and Gabriella and Troy's speed to the opposite side of the school.

The final bell rang and she bolted for the gym. She needed a seat behind the benches for the teams. She still had one more smaller job of distracting their dad so Troy could make a secret and quick escape from the gym to the callbacks. He would be needing all the time he could get to be able to get to the auditorium.

She watched warm-up and went through the normal routine of telling Troy about the other players. He already knew everything she was telling him, but it all had to appear normal to their dad.

The game started and Jay watched the scoreboard for the start of it freaking out. She also had to point it out quickly to gain more time. When it did she took a second to react and she screamed it out causing everyone to look at it and the game to stop. She faked a cry of panic directed at her dad, so he looked at her as she saw Troy disappear behind him. The principal told them all to exit the gym and so she came out on the court and jumped on Chad's back – as per Troy's orders so she wouldn't get caught up in the crowd and get hurt, Troy was forever thinking of her safety. The team speeded down to the auditorium, "In the middle," she told them, so they would have a good seat.

She looked up on stage, both Troy and Gabriella were there, and that was a good sign. They both also looked nervous as people streamed through the doors. She winced as they had to start twice out of fright. But once they got started, Jay blew out a sigh of relief. They were awesome and they looked like they were having fun gallivanting around the stage. She smiled at her brother's happiness, he deserved it. If anyone deserved it, it was Troy who did. He had done all her could for her and Jay was forever in his debt because she had no idea as to how to repay him.

Troy kissed Gabriella on the cheek after they finished. Jay let out a cat cal and Troy glared in her direction. "Oh my prince of peas, please let you have a happy ending," She whispered quietly to herself. It hit her then that they still had a game to play. Everyone went back to the gym and the game resumed.

It was a good close game, "Let him hit a winning shot," Jay said to herself at the last time out before the last few seconds. She watched him steal the ball and look at the clock before scrambling down court. After a short series of passes she saw him shoot the ball, and there was only time left on the clock for this one shot. "Go in!" She shouted with the crowd around her. In! It went in and the buzzer rang. Jay crumpled on to the bleachers, they'd won. She got up and went to celebrate with the team.

The first person she found was Jason. She gave him a high five before thinking what the heck and pulled him into a sweaty hug. She'd smell anyways so why not start now. "Hey, look!" She pointed at her brother and Gabriella. They were going to kiss, she could tell. She felt a little like a peeping tom with Jason as they watched. Wait, what was Chad doing? Of course he had to go ruin the moment. She looked at Jason, who laughing, and she had to admit, it was slightly funny. She let go of Jason and went to find Chad. When she did she hit him on the back of the head.

"Hey what was that for?" He asked rubbing his head.

"They were going to kiss and you broke it up. I ought to do more that just your head. You screwed my brother over."

"I – I didn't notice," Chad wasn't about to get into it with a Bolton, he knew he would lose.

"Hey, don't kill my team," Troy said, coming over and pulled Jay away from a frightened Chad, "I can do it another time, I doesn't matter that much."

"Just one please, and why do you have to be so unselfish?" Jay pleaded.

"You'll be in jail and can't play if you kill him, and we'll finish the other discussion some other time," Troy reasoned, "But I'll always be that way."

"Can I do it after my game then?" Jay asked.

"Not even then."

"You always ruin my fun."

"That's one of my jobs," Troy grinned.

--------------

The next Friday, Jay was fiddling with the hem of her jersey in the locker room before the game. She knew she was still slow and they – being the other team – would love a chance to take out her knee. She and Troy had began running and shooting and a few cuts and some defense. They had settled on rebounding being out of the question, it was too easy to get hurt from all the pushing and shoving down low. She had to stay near the top of the key. She knew she wouldn't start, but she had always expected it.

Gracie called everyone out to the court to warm-up. Jay sat down to stretch at the end line. "Jay, Gracie!" Troy called.

"Yeah?" Gracie had been receiving his pep talks while Jay was injured. They gathered at the end line so Jay didn't have to move that far.

"Number seven's a shooter and so is 13, her shot is the elbow, don't give it up. Her shot from there is like Ang's 3-point shot from the top of the key – automatic ok? 37 is a fouler, but she's sneaky and gets away with a lot. Make sure the best free throw shooter on the court is on her. Tell Emma to watch 52, she flashes to the free throw line and can make the shot, keep a body on her, got it?" Troy conversed.

"Yeah," Gracie said as she and Jay nodded.

"And when I say shoot," Troy started.

"Square up and shoot no matter what, you are seeing something we aren't," Jay and Gracie said automatically in perfect unison. Gracie wondered off, as she never got the departing line.

"K.O. my dreamer, K.O." was Troy's departing line.

"I never got that one," Gracie said to Jay as they were warming up.

"Never as he never told you it or never as you never understood what it meant?" Jay asked.

"Both."

"It is just a little reminder between us. We have both always been good at tracking the ball and anticipating where it will go next. K.O. is for knock off and to knock off a pass for a steal, it is how I've always gotten so many," Jay explained.

"And I am suppose to remind you to always stay on your toes, your brother's orders," Gracie said as they headed to the locker room for the coach's pep talk about the game. Jay rolled her eyes at this as they sat down to listen to her dad.

They exited the locker room a few minutes later and had a few minutes left to shoot around before the start of the game. Jay picked up a stray ball and took a deep breath. She dribbled around to find her spot. She hadn't done this in a while by herself. She found her favorite spot on the left hand side between the lane and the three-point line. She squared up and shot, it bounced on the rim before going in.

Coach called them to a huddle for a few last minute reminders and prepared to start. Jay took a seat on the bench as the game begun.

They took an early lead of 14 to 6 before the other coach called a time out. "Jay, how you feel?" Coach asked in the huddle.

"Good with butterflies," Jay said nervously.

"Ok, tap your head twice if you need out, go in for Ellie, Ellie, take a seat by me on the bench, I wanna talk to you. Keep doing what you are doing girls, you look good," Coach said.

A buzzer sounded, "Wildcats on three," Gracie said and they put their hands up in the air together, "one, two, three!"

"Wildcats!" came the yell.

Jay walked over to the scoreboard table to check in. She tapped the table. The guy looked up at her and grinned before nodding. Jay took a place on the court in the wing position. There was a tremendous roar from the crowd as they saw her walk onto court. She blushed as the ref whistled giving Ang the ball. She tossed it in to Gracie, who brought it up the court, "Better watch your precious knee Bolton," the girl who was guarding Jay said. It was number 22, Jay would have to remember that.

Jay looked at the girl for a split second before running off on the play Gracie had called. She caught the ball on the elbow and squared up to shoot. She stumbled when she came down, but stayed on her feet. She saw the ball go in and jogged back on defense. She was thankful for the extra pain medicine she had taken earlier that day.

"Lucky shot," number 22 said.

"Pure talent and skill," Jay said as she knocked the ball out of bounds. Jay went through this same discussion with the girl as Jay continued to sink shots through the end of the first quarter. Thirty seconds before the end of that quarter, Jay got in a place she didn't want to be in. Down low in the lane was a disaster waiting to happen.

"Get out of there Jay!" Troy yelled from the sidelines.

"Switch Gracie," Jay called out. Gracie nodded and they crossed paths and Jay headed to the top on the person Gracie was previously on and Gracie to Jay's.

"K.O." Troy called out as he saw that the other team wanted to restart, kicking the ball to the top again.

Jay swiveled her head around to watch the passes and saw the one coming the top. There wasn't much time until the buzzer rang out. She hit the ball towards her end of the court and chased it down and was going to go up for a lay up. This was something she and Troy had not practiced, and she was scared of something going wrong. Her frightened mounted as she pounded down the court, but she was sure only Troy could tell of this fright. She leaped up and let go of the ball. She knew in the air the only way to get down without potentially hurting knee was to do what she did. She landed on right foot only and let it bend and to give way. She stuck out her hands to catch herself on the ground before her left knee hit the ground. And she did it. She kept her left leg entirely off the ground as she hit it. She rolled to sit on her bottom and blew a sigh of relief. Her brother, dad, and Gracie were all racing towards her as she sat on the ground. The refs had to call a suspension of play as they got to her.

"Jay, babe, are you ok?" Troy breathed heavily.

"Yeah, my knee never hit the ground just help me up, I am fine I swear," Jay said, and she was telling the truth.

"Absolutely positive?" Coach asked.

"Yes, but I think I'll sit out some next quarter, maybe right before halftime I'll go in?" Jay said.

"Ok, Gracie, call Ellie in," Coach ordered, "Troy get your sister up."

Gracie disappeared to the bench, Coach walked away and Troy grinned at his sister. "You totally freaked me out that something was wrong," he said.

"I knew it was the only way to get down with out hurting my knee," Jay said off handedly, "So how about getting my up?"

"Yeah, of course you know the drill Jay," Troy said.

"I sure do," Jay said, crossing her own wrists before taking a hold of Troy's. And the game went on. East continued to stay slightly ahead of the other team. Jay sat out most of the second quarter but went in with three minutes to go before halftime. She tapped the scoreboard table and waited for the ref to wave her in. She didn't know she wouldn't be doing it again for a very long time. She slapped hands with Ang as she went in for her and took up her person at the wing position. The ball was thrown in and Jay crouched down into the defensive position.

She played through a couple points at both in when a sub was called in for the other team. The person she was guarding left the floor and was replaced with the dreaded number 22. It was forebodingly haunting the look the girl gave Jay as she took her position. "How's the weak knee?" She asked in a sarcastic tone.

"How's the weak mind?" Jay returned. That ticked the girl off and she shoved Jay hard as she ran passed her. Jay stumbled to catch up to her, but was too late as the girl sunk a shot. "That's horrible that you have to cheat to be able to make a shot," Jay said down at her end of the court as Gracie brought up the ball.

"It's only cheating if you get caught," 22 said.

"It's only cheating if you do it," Jay said before running off the play. The girl sneered as she kept Jay from getting the ball. Jay didn't care as Ellie still made a shot. It didn't make a difference as to who made the shot as long as the shot was made.

They went up and down the court a few more times before Jay heard an almost dread call, "K.O. Jay," Troy said. He hated saying it as he didn't want anything to happen to his sister, but he could see and he knew Jay could see such an easy opening coming around. Maybe if it was easy enough – like it looked – nothing would happen, maybe she would come away unscathed. But that was just a useless hope, a useless prayer sent up to heaven. Jay took a deep breath before knocking the ball towards her end of the court. She knew that as she was running up the court with the ball, someone was close behind her. She came to a jump stop, hoping that the person would whiz on passed her and she could get an open shot. But was not to be. The person didn't stop like Jay thought would happen, but they didn't stop running into her.

It threw her to the ground and she had no time to try and save her knee, it would be futile. Time slowed down again in that gym as the crowd and players and coaches and refs all saw Jay tumble to the ground for not the first time that season. "I told you to watch it," the player next to Jay on the ground said. It was 22, how did she know? The girl picked herself up and walked away as the Bolton men, Gracie, and Chad came to the end line by Jay.

"Get her up, get her up and too the bench, she's done," Coach ordered, "And where the heck are her crutches?" he asked to no one in particular. Chad disappeared to find them.

Troy was kneeling by his sister; she was refusing to let a tear slip down her face even though they all could tell she wanted to. Coach walked off to get some ice as Troy pulled Jay up for a second time that night. Troy and Gracie helped Jay off the court as the crowd applauded and the other team looked pleased with what happened. Coach returned as Jay was being laid down on the bench with her leg stretched out. Coach handed her the ice, which she set on her knee in the proper place. Chad returned and leaned the crutches against the bench and went back to his place in the stands.

Gracie went back to the game and Troy stayed at the bench. Coach talked to Ang a quick second before sending her in for Jay. "At least I got to play," Jay said shaking her head in defeat.

"She did it on purpose, she should have gone around you like every normal person," Troy said angrily.

"Dude, I know, I was there. She told me to watch my knee in the first quarter when I went in," Jay said wincing as the other team scored, taking a one-point lead.

"Then tell someone, tell dad, tell the refs," Troy said.

"They couldn't do anything it is passed. Besides it would be my word versus hers and the other team would know that my knee is really frail."

"Because it is."

"They don't have to know it. Now shut up and watch the game," Jay said as Ang scored.

------------

Fourth quarter, East was up by one with the ball with around 30 seconds left when the other team's coach called a time out. "Girls, you know what I am going to say," Coach said in the huddle, "Gracie, Ellie, Ang, take care of the ball, smart passes, and just waste time, we are up and have no need to shoot. Expect a full court press. So run Army. Ellie, make a good pass in, Emma, Sara, set up good picks for the guards. Gracie, Ang, make sure you are brushing shoulders with your posts for a good pick. Don't pick up your dribble unless you absolutely have to. Emma, Sara, watch out for your guards, if they are in trouble, you have to go to the top for a pass. I know you hate it up there, but they will get open and get the ball from you. And lastly girls, think of Jay and how much she wants to be in the game, in this last play. She's got more heart than anyone and will kill you if you don't win, just kidding. I know you are tired, but it is thirty more seconds and we have had so much fun this season with the highs and lows, let's finish it strong ladies, finish strong."

"Please, lord, let us win," Jay prayed silent as the team cheered and she sat back down on the bench.

She watched the last thirty seconds unfold, but they seemed to last a lifetime. Emma and Sara lined up at opposite sides of the circle for tip off. Gracie and Ang on either side of them and Ellie went down to the end line and received the ball from the ref. She slapped and the play started. Gracie and Ang swung out and received a pick from each other as they ran pass each other and another from post as they passed them too. Ang got the ball and the two posts drop back to their home positions on the block and Ellie and Gracie formed a triangle with Ang to get the ball across the half court line within the ten second limit and about four passes later they got it over. Ang passed the ball to Gracie who held it and counted to five in her head before dribbling the ball around to the top of the key and watching Ang and Ellie. She picked up the ball and held on to it for a short two seconds before passing it to Ellie. Ellie got it and her person ran into her causing her to stumble. The ref called a foul. They were in double bonus so Ellie got two shots.

The East high side of the gym got quiet for her and the other side grew louder to distract her. Her teammates gave her encouragements as she lined up at the free throw line. She shook out her limbs and took a deep breath and tried to get in the right mindset. She needed to make these to help her team. She tried so hard to block out the noise as she received the ball from the ref. She took another deep breath and went through her free throw routine. She dribbled the ball three times in quick succession and then lined up with the basket. She found her grip, took another breath and shot. It hit the rim and bounced off to the left. The opposite team's crowd cheered at her miss. Her teammates on court gave her a low five and encouraging words as she got ready for her next shot.

"Think of Penni!" Jay shouted from her seat on the sideline. Penni was Ellie's horse in Montana that she loved. Jay thought maybe her nerves were getting to her and that thinking of Penni might calm them down. Jay knew how much Ellie was in love with her horse. Ellie spent every spring break, Fourth of July, every Labor Day, and many more days up in that state riding her horse.

Ellie looked at Jay, Jay nodded at her. Ellie tried to picture her beloved horse's face in her head as she shook out her limbs again to shoot the next shot. She received the ball from the ref and went through her routine again. Three quick, successive dribbles, line up with the basket, fine the grip on the ball, deep breath, shoot, and the ball goes in. Just like clockwork, the ball sank threw the hoop with out even touching the rim.

"Tough, defense girls, tough D," Coach called from the sideline. There were twelve seconds left in the game and East High was up by two, they couldn't let them shoot. "Full court press, Emma, stay back," Coach ordered.

Sara, Gracie, Ellie, and Ang were all in the backcourt trying to stop them from bringing the ball up and not letting the ball get behind them where they only had Emma under the basket. Sara dropped back with a post and Gracie, Ellie and Ang were able to trap a guard, but the girl was able to back out and pass it off to a teammate. They got the ball across the half court line with seven seconds. They passed around the ball for two seconds and a girl put up a shot obviously way out of her range of shot as it air-balled. It hit the posts hands and there was a loose ball on the floor. A girl from the other team picked up the ball and shot it with one second left and the whole gym sent up different prayers. If you were with East high, you prayed it wouldn't go in. If you were with the other team, you prayed it would go in. It all came down to the last shot at the last second. It hit the backboard, hit the rim on one side, then the other and rolled off and out of the basket. It took a moment for everyone to comprehend and the gym exploded with noise and the East high stands cheered at their win.

Jay jumped off the bench, forgetting her knee and she collided with Abbey. She hugged the girl, despite the differences they had earlier. She limped onto the court with the help of her brother to shake hands with the other team. The crowd stormed the court and Jay tried to find Ellie. Troy stayed by her side since the crutches lay forgotten by the bench. Jay found Ellie and threw her arms around her in a hug. "You did it!"

"I did make the shot didn't I?" Ellie said, "And almost all thanks to you."

"What else am I suppose to do from the bench?"

"Heal."

"Totally overrated," Jay laughed and she let Ellie wonder away. Some one picked Jay up from behind and twirled her around – it was Chad.

"Great game Jay," he said.

"I didn't do much of anything," Jay said

"Cheerleader, inspiration leader, heart and soul of the team, you've done everything," Chad said in a 'duh' voice.

--------------------

**AN: And that is the end of it. That is the end of the chapter, the end of the story the end of everything. Except I do have a very short epilogue to put up and then I do also have a sequel I wrote on my trip before, so maybe it isn't totally over, but the end of the main story. Please leave me a review of what you think of anything, the chapter, the story, the pretty bird outside the window, whatever. And that last one was a joke, but I really don't care if you do.**


	10. Epilogue

**AN: Ok this is the last little part of the story, a short epilogue, and I mean short, though I may add to it a little bit. Then after this I will work on the sequel I have planned. I am still in the midst of writing the sequel, but may still start typing it anyways.**

Epilogue

The last day of school was almost done as Jay stared at the clock with everyone else in her class, including her brother. The seconds were ticking away until it was finally summer. "Last day about to end," Jay whispered to her brother as they continued to watch the clock.

"And I know something you don't know," Troy taunted.

"Where have I heard that before?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Sure you don't."

"Well maybe I don't."

"So what do you know?"

"Where we are going on summer vacation."

"Which is?"

"You are not even going to guess."

"All knowledge has left me, even the name of the fifty states which we have been learning since about fourth grade."

"There is that stupid song from fifth grade."

"Not even a song will help, so are you going to tell me or not?"

"California."

"You finally got your trip to the beach."

"Yes I did."

"We finally get to go!" Jay said with realization, "We have always begged for a summer trip there but never got it, maybe because it the last summer we'll most likely spend together and it is the summer before senior year."

"Yes my dreamer, we finally get the trip."

"It has been an interesting year hasn't it bro?"

"Yes it has, yes it certainly has," Troy said as the bell rang, "Ready?"

"GO!" Jay yelled, racing out of the room, knocking multiple people out of the way. She glanced back at Troy, tearing after her. He came into step with her once in the parking lot. They both kept trying to speed up, but the other always matched steps with them. They both slapped the hood of the car at the same time. They collapsed on the hood laughing, breathing heavily.

"Yo! Crazies!" Chad yelled at them, "Pick up game in the gym, girls versus guys."

Jay looked at Troy, who was looking at her. "You're on!" she shouted and they raced back to the gym. In the gym was part of each captain's teams.

"Call your own fouls," Gracie said.

"Who's tossing?" Zeke asked.

The ten players looked around the gym. Gabriella was there with Taylor to watch the game. "Gabriella!" Troy yelled to her, "Would you toss for us?"

"Um, sure, who's doing the jumping thing?" She asked walking on to the court.

The teams looked at each other, sizing each other up. Troy and Jay looked at each other, "Us," Troy and Jay said together.

Gabriella looked between them as they lined up in the circle. They crouched down as she held the ball between them. She tossed it and the game was off.

Coach Bolton stood off to the edge of the gym watching his two children play. He knew that the outcome didn't matter. All that mattered was the bond between those ten players. And the heart they had as they played for the love of the game.

-----------------------

**AN: And that is it! FINISHED. I told you it was short. Now I will be starting a sequel soon, but it may be in about a week or so, maybe later, maybe sooner. Now I will know if anyone didn't read this if you write 'update soon' in a review. Which really bugs me when people don't read author's note. It is not like it is outrageously long.**


End file.
